Grounded Podcast with Chuck Quinley: ReJesus Everything!

Learn to be rock solid even if the world around you is not
  • 5.0 (1)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Millions are walking away from church but not from Jesus. Over 25 episodes, author and missionary Chuck Quinley diagnoses what's gone wrong with global Christianity and offers a radical solution: ReJesus everything. Restore the central authority of Jesus alone as chief theologian and leader of the mission. Strip away 2,000 years of accumulated traditions and return to the simple, powerful path of following Jesus himself—his words, his practices, his mission. www.quinley.com

  1. 19H AGO

    The Privilege and Pain of Having Convictions

    There’s a reason heroes always pay a price. They have convictions. It is the primary thing that sets them apart. All heroes, in order to be heroes, have to have convictions they’re willing to sacrifice and maybe even to die for. To have convictions is one of the highest and most noble things a human can do. It is evidence that we are not just animals, but that we are indeed made in the image of God Himself. We do moral reasoning, not just answering a question about which thing is more efficient or which thing gets us the better result, but which thing is right. Convictions acknowledge that we find ourselves not just in a physical universe but a world made by a righteous God who has given us a conscience that perceives our existence in moral and ethical terms as well. It is the highest and most godlike level of our existence. We sit enthroned as the lord of our own value system, Master of our actions, controller of our own free will thinking about what we believe and what we don’t believe, and what we are going to allow ourselves to do and what we must never do. The meaning of the word “Conviction.” The word comes from the Latin convincere—”to overcome, to prove wrong, to conquer.” There’s something inherently victorious about a conviction. A conviction isn’t just a belief you hold casually; it’s a belief that has conquered your doubts, that has overcome alternatives. You arrive at convictions through some kind of inner struggle—a contest— and those convictions emerge triumphant. It’s beautiful. To have convictions is both a privilege and a burden. It’s a privilege because its completely up to you and me to have convictions or not. It’s our choice. If we choose to have convictions, we are blessed with drive, meaning, purpose, and direction. Today we’re talking about the privilege and the burden of having convictions. We’re going to talk about what it means to have convictions in a world that doesn’t want you to. We’ll explore why conviction is both a gift and a cost. And we’ll ask the question: Is it worth it? Recap If you missed the past three newsletters, we’ve been exploring the pain at the heart of the current faith crisis: - Episode 1: The quiet exodus—40 million Americans leaving the church - Episode 2: The paradox—being drawn to Jesus while repelled by Christianity - Episode 3: The slow erosion of energy—ministry burnout and exhaustion With this newsletter, we’re completing Act I: The Pain by talking about the privilege and pain of having convictions. It’s important in our discussion because—if you’re questioning, deconstructing, reconstructing, searching for authentic faith—it’s, hopefully, because you have convictions. You believe something deeply. You’re not willing to settle for a version of Christianity that doesn’t align with Jesus. You’re not willing to just go along with the crowd. And that conviction is both a gift and a burden, it is privilege and it is pain. So let’s talk about it. Here’s what I’ve learned over four decades of ministry: the only people who bring change are the people who have convictions and are willing to pay the price for them. The Legacy of Convictions We honor Martin Luther King Jr today because he had convictions about justice and equality and he was willing to sacrifice for these convictions. Mother Teresa had convictions about the level at which we are called to serve the poor and she was willing to endure the tension her proposals created with the catholic hierarchy. William Tyndale had a conviction that every human has a right to read the Bible in their language. It cost him his life. What’s the difference in a conviction and an opinion? A conviction is not the same as an opinion. An opinion is something flexible—you can and should change your opinion as you get new information. A conviction is your inner foundation, a core belief, a value. Convictions are the non-negotiable. They’re the hills you’re willing to die on. They’re the truths you won’t compromise, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it costs you something. So why is having convictions a privilege? What convictions give us: 1. Meaning Key to having a life of meaning and purpose is knowing the reason for your existence. You cannot know your purpose until you know your “Why?” and then live by it. This is the only way to a life that has meaning and purpose. So if you are floundering in your life. This is where you start. Find your central convictions. They give us our center so we can focus our energies and build our life around them. We find our purpose in that for which we are willing to sacrifice ourselves. Knowing our convictions and then following up by sacrificing our short life for them gives us the spine of our life. Without convictions, we may survive, but we don’t really live as a human. We just react as the animals do, moving from impulse to impulse, avoiding pressure, seeking comfort. Our life can’t have a spine without convictions. They let us live toward something that demands something of us. We invest our energies and burn our days toward these ends. At the end of our life, our convictions, if we live them out, will define us and create the message we leave behind with our life. When you believe something deeply, your life has purpose. You’re not just drifting through life, reacting to circumstances. You’re living intentionally, guided by principles that matter to you. You are choosing. You are driving your life according to a higher set of noble principles. You are reflecting the nobility that God has given to mankind. You are living as the image of God. Your convictions give you a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to keep going when things get hard. 2. Direction Convictions are our life’s compass. When you’re faced with a decision, your convictions help you know which way to go. Should I take this job? Should I stay in this relationship? Should I speak up or stay silent? It’s your convictions that provide clarity in a confusing world of endless choices. If you repeatedly follow your convictions, it gives your life direction. Your convictions are the shaft in the arrow of your life. When you know what you believe, you are no longer paralyzed by confusion and indecision. You can move forward with confidence, ignoring endless options and choosing only the ones that match your convictions. 3. Identity Your convictions shape who you are. There’s a coherence and a predictability that settles into who you are as a person. This predictable pattern eventually is the definition of who you are to yourself, and also to others. They’re like an unyielding blade that shapes who you are, how you live, and what you make yourself do and forbid yourself to do. They’re not just beliefs you hold—they’re part of your identity. When you say, “I’m a follower of Jesus,” you’re not just stating a fact—you’re declaring your identity. Your convictions define you. 4. Community Convictions connect you to others who share them. When you find people who believe what you believe, who value what you value, who are willing to sacrifice for what you’re willing to sacrifice—you’ve found your tribe. They empower you to stand firm with your community in difficult circumstances. When you believe deeply in something, you can endure opposition, criticism, and hardship because you’re rooted in principles that matter to you more than comfort or social approval. 5. Legacy When you live by your convictions, you leave a mark on the world. You don’t just pass through life—you shape it. You influence the next generation. You change the world because your life has been grounded in something transcendent, and you have moral authority. Your convictions outlive you. This is the privilege of having convictions. It’s a gift. It’s what makes life worth living. But, like everything valuable, it also comes at a cost. So what’s the cost? But…convictions cost us To have convictions is to pay a price. Here’s what it costs: 1. Comfort Convictions always demand something of you. Convictions create an obligation in you. Once you know what is right, you are responsible to act on it—although it is going to be inconvenient, costly, and uncomfortable. They introduce friction, and they make your life harder. Once you believe something, you are no longer free to do whatever is easiest or safest. Your convictions disturb your comfort by putting you in tension. You have to constantly navigate a world that is indifferent to or disagreeable with your convictions. Part of this discomfort is having to deal with the gap that always exists between what we believe and how we actually live. This gap is painful because our convictions won’t let us hide from ourselves. 2. Social Cost Convictions costs us socially. When you have convictions, not everyone is going to like you. Some people will think you’re too rigid, too judgmental, too extreme. They’ll say you’re “making everything about religion” or “taking things too seriously.” You’ll lose friends. You’ll be misunderstood. When you stand for something, you inevitably stand apart from someone else. For creatures wired for belonging, that really hurts. 3. Your Life Throughout history, people with convictions have suffered the loss of reputation, the loss of relationships, the loss of comfort and security. Followers of Jesus have often paid the ultimate price. Stephen was stoned to death. Peter was crucified upside down. Paul was beheaded. Millions of Christians in the last century have been martyred for their faith. And even today, in many parts of the world, following Jesus can cost you your life. And here’s the question: Is it worth it? Let me tell you a story that might help answer that question. I want to tell you about a woman I’ll call Maryam. She lives in Iran, where converting from Islam to Christianity is i

    26 min

  2. FEB 17

    Burned Out for God: When the Church Machine Drains the Life Out of You

    Grounded S02 E03 There’s a kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from working too hard. It comes from working on the wrong things. Imagine you’re a marathon runner, but instead of running the race, you’re spending all your energy maintaining the track, organizing the water stations, managing the volunteers, and promoting the event. You’re exhausted, but you haven’t actually run a single mile. That’s what’s happening to millions of Christians in ministry today.They’re not tired from doing kingdom work. They’re tired from running the church machine.They’re not exhausted from making disciples. They’re exhausted from managing programs, budgets, buildings, and committees. They’re not burned out from encountering Jesus for too many hours each week. They aren’t weary from all the disciples they’ve been training. They’re burned out from maintaining an institution that increasingly feels disconnected from His core mission. This is the relentless slow erosion of our energy. And it’s one of the most dangerous crises facing the church today. Because when the people who are supposed to be leading us closer to Jesus are themselves running on empty, what hope is there for the rest of us? Today’s topic. Today, we’re going to talk about what it’s like to serve in ministry while feeling increasingly disconnected from the presence and power of Jesus. We’ll explore why so many faithful servants are burning out, and what it means for the future of the church. Quick Recap: In our first episode, we talked about the quiet exodus—the 40 million Americans who have left the church. In our second episode, we explored the paradox at the heart of that exodus—how you can be drawn to Jesus and repelled by Christianity. Today, we’re turning our attention to those who haven’t left. Those who are still showing up, still serving, still leading—but who are slowly dying inside. Maybe that’s you. Maybe you’re a pastor who started ministry with fire in your heart, but now you’re just trying to survive another Sunday. Maybe you’re a worship leader who used to feel God’s presence when you sang, but now it feels like you’re just performing. Maybe you’re a volunteer who used to love serving, but now it feels like an obligation. If that’s you, I want you to know that what you’re experiencing is a symptom of a much larger problem—a problem with the system itself, not with you. So let’s talk about it: Running the Church Machine We’ve All Inherited The Experience Business Imagine sitting down with a friend of yours named David. David planted a church 15 years ago with a vision to create a community where people could encounter Jesus, grow as disciples, and serve the world. He was passionate, energetic, and deeply committed to following Jesus. If you sit down with David recently he looks exhausted. Not the kind of tired you get from a long week—the kind of tired that comes from years of carrying a weight you were never meant to carry. He says, “I didn’t sign up for this.” “For what?” you ask. “For running a business. For managing staff conflicts. For fundraising. For building maintenance. For navigating denominational politics. For keeping the board happy. For competing with the megachurch down the street.” He pauses, then says, “I wanted to make disciples. But I spend 90% of my time managing an experience business.” David’s story isn’t unique. It’s the norm. Here’s what happens: You start with a vision to follow Jesus and help others do the same. But over time, the institution takes over. The programs multiply. The budget grows. The staff expands. The building needs maintenance. The staff need managing. The donors need stewarding. And before you know it, you’re not a pastor anymore—you’re a CEO. You’re not making disciples—you’re managing a machine. And the machine is hungry. It demands more time, more energy, more resources. It never says, “That’s enough.” It always says, “More.” So you give more. You work longer hours. You sacrifice time with your family. You neglect your own inner life. You push through the exhaustion, and slowly, imperceptibly, the fire that once burned in your heart begins to dim. But it’s not just pastors who are experiencing this. It’s also many who are trying to faithfully serve in the church system as staff or volunteer. Five Signs of Ministry Burnout If you’re serving in ministry—whether as a pastor, a staff member, or a volunteer—you probably recognize some of these symptoms: 1. You’re emotionally exhausted. You used to feel energized by ministry. Now you feel drained. Even thinking about Sunday morning makes you tired. You’re going through the motions, but your heart isn’t in it anymore. You’re running on fumes. 2. You’re bone dry inside. You used to encounter Jesus in worship, in prayer, in Scripture. Now it feels like He’s distant, silent, absent. You’re teaching others about Jesus, but you’re not experiencing Him yourself. You’re giving out of an empty well. 3. You’re becoming cynical. You used to believe that the church could change the world. Now you’re not so sure. You’ve seen too many scandals, too much hypocrisy, too many people leave. You’ve become jaded, skeptical, disillusioned. You don’t trust the system anymore 4. You’re quietly resentful. You used to serve with joy. Now you serve out of obligation. You resent the people who don’t show up, who don’t give, who don’t volunteer. You resent the demands on your time, the expectations placed on you, the lack of appreciation. You’re angry, and you don’t know what to do with it. 5. You’re questioning everything. You used to be certain about your calling, your theology, your purpose. Now you’re not sure about anything. Is this really what Jesus wanted? Is this really what the church is supposed to be? Am I even making a difference? Should I just quit? If you’re experiencing these symptoms, as a couple with over 25 years in pastoral ministry, Sherry and I can empathize with you. You were never meant to run a machine. You were meant to follow Jesus and help others do the same. Faith That Requires Constant Effort Is Unsustainable One of the quiet assumptions in many Christian spaces is that faith is supposed to be hard in the sense of constantly demanding more energy, more commitment, more resilience. But when faith consistently drains without restoring, something is misaligned. Jesus spoke often of rest, lightness, and renewal—not as exceptions, but as the daily reward for walking in His way. Jesus Calls to the Weary Jesus once said, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Notice what He didn’t do: * He didn’t scold the weary * He didn’t question their sincerity * He didn’t tell them to just push through He assumes weariness is part of the human condition, but he points those who are weary to a sure solution. Jesus is Our Oasis In this verse, Jesus positions Himself, not a system, a retreat center, or a long vacation, as the place of rest, the shelter…direct fellowship with Jesus is the oasis for weary seekers. If you are weary from your ministry, my friend, let Jesus fill you up right now. Let his strong arms comfort you. Just stop reading now and let him do his work of restoration. So how did we get here? How did ministry become so exhausting? From Movement to Institution Jesus didn’t start an institution. He started a movement. He gathered a small group of disciples, taught them how to live in the kingdom of God, and sent them out to make more disciples. It was simple, organic, reproducible. But over time, that movement became an institution. And institutions have a way of prioritizing their own survival over their original mission. Here’s how it happens: Step 1: A movement grows. More people join. More communities form. More leaders emerge. This is good—it’s what Jesus wanted. Step 2: The movement organizes. To manage the growth, structures are put in place. Roles are defined. Processes are created. Buildings are built. This is necessary—organization isn’t bad. Step 3: The organization becomes an institution. This is where things change. To an institution, perpetuating the structure, even enlarging it, becomes priority. More departments, more buildings, more employees, more budget. Any institution will prioritize its own survival over its original purpose. Step 4: The institution demands maintenance. Now, instead of making disciples, we prop up a massive, aging institution. Instead of being the church, we’re doing church. We run the machine. This isn’t a new problem. It’s happened a million times throughout history. The Cost of the Erosion What happens when the people leading the church are running on empty? When ministry leaders become exhausted from institutional maintenance—running the machine, here’s what we lose: 1. We lose prophetic witness. Prophets challenge the status quo. Institutions ARE status quo. The older and bigger they are the more fiercely they resist change, or correction, or downsizing. 2. We lose authentic community. Community requires presence, vulnerability and …the most scarce resource of all—spare time. When you’re running from meeting to meeting, managing crisis after crisis, you don’t have time for deep relationships. You have transactions, not transformations. 3. We lose spiritual vitality. You can’t give what you don’t have. If your own soul is dry, you can’t water anyone else’s. 4. We lose the next generation. Young people can smell inauthenticity a mile away. They can tell when you’re going through the motions. They can see when the institution matters more than the mission. And they’re walking away in droves. 5. We lose the presence of Jesus. This is the most tragic cost of all. You might think this is impossible, I mean, how can you have church or C

    19 min

  3. FEB 10

    Attracted to Jesus, Repelled by Christianity

    There’s a question that puzzles millions of people today, and maybe you’re one of them: How can I love Jesus and cringe at Christianity? It feels like a contradiction, doesn’t it? How can you be drawn to the object of a religion and repelled by the religion itself? But here’s what I’ve discovered over 40 years of ministry: this isn’t a contradiction at all. In fact, it might be the most healthy thing you could feel depending upon your circumstances. Because Jesus and Christianity are not the same thing. In our last episode, we talked about the quiet exodus—the 40 million Americans alone who have left the church in the last 25 years. Today, we’re going to explore the paradox at the heart of that exodus: how you can be drawn to Jesus and still be repelled by Christianity. And more importantly, why that’s okay. Maybe you read the Gospels and you’re moved by Jesus’ compassion, His radical inclusion, His challenge to religious hypocrisy. But then you look at Christianity today—the culture wars, the scandals, the obsession with power and money—and you think, “This isn’t what Jesus taught.” And you’re right. It’s not. So today, we’re going to quickly explore three things: 1. What Jesus modeled 2. What Christianity has become 3. Why the gap between them is so painful—and what it means. The Jesus of the Bible If you want to know what Jesus is really like, you have six sources in the Bible: the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Plus the beginning of the Book of Acts and Some scenes within the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of St. John. These are the earliest and most reliable accounts of Jesus’ life, teaching, death, and resurrection. And when you read them for yourself, here’s what you observe: Jesus Modeled Compassion for Anyone Suffering When you reflect the heart of God you don’t become a harsh legalist. His heart draws you to the suffering of others and you do whatever you can to make things better for them. * It could be suffering from the result of our own sins and unwise actions as in the case of the woman taken in adultery. Her pain was her own doing, but Jesus had compassion anyway. * Jesus seemed to have deep awareness of mental suffering. He resonated with what it felt like to be afraid and worried and often said to his followers, “Do not worry…” and “Don’t be afraid little ones…” He was a powerful man, but he was full of compassion. Jesus Welcomed Outcasts Christ took delight in helping outsiders become insiders. Every society has outsiders. They feel the walls of rejection raised against them. Jesus created a door in those walls and helped them enter and function in society. Jesus challenged hypocrisy, especially within institutions. Jesus’ harshest words weren’t for drunkards and “sinners”—they were for religious leaders. He called them “whitewashed tombs,” “blind guides,” and “hypocrites.” He said they “shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces” and “travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” Strong words. But Jesus wasn’t being mean—He was being truthful. He saw how the structures of religion can actually function as a barrier between people and God, and He refused to let that stand. Jesus prioritized people over rules. Understandably, every society needs a set of behavioral rules and guidelines in order to function. These rules improve the general tone of behavior and regulate what you can expect to encounter when you go out each day. But the rules should protect the weak and broken. When he was criticized for allowing his followers to gather wheat to eat on the Sabbath, He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Jesus consistently prioritized the practical circumstantial needs of humans over any system of rules. Jesus taught radical love. “Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile. Give to everyone who asks. Forgive seventy times seven.” Jesus’ ethic of love was so radical, that even today it sounds impossible. Jesus confronted the entitlement of those in power. In every society, power corrupts those who hold it. This is true in government, education, finance and even in religion. Jesus stood up to the establishment, the Roman Empire, and rebuked the religious authorities of His day. He overturned bankers tables in the temple. He refused to bow to political or religious pressure. He spoke truth to power, even when it cost Him His life. Jesus offered grace and forgiveness. To the woman caught in adultery, He said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” To the thief on the cross, He said, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” To Peter, who denied Him three times, He offered full restoration. Jesus’ message was always grace first, then transformation will follow. This is the Jesus of the Gospels. This is the Jesus people are drawn to. But then we look at Christianity today, and we often see something very different. That’s probably enough said. The Disconnect I’m not here to bash Christianity. That’s too easy, doesn’t fix anything, and frankly, seems juvenile to me. I’m not a deconstructor. In fairness, it must be stated with conviction that Christianity has done immense good in the world. Because of core concepts, patterns and initiatives taken by forces within Christianity, we have hospitals, universities, orphanages, and the concept of universal human rights in most of the nations of the world. Christianity in it’s many forms continues to be a blessing to humanity in countless ways. But all is not well in Christianity. And if we’re going to be honest—if we’re going to have integrity with Jesus—we have to acknowledge that much has gone wrong. There is a growing gap between the clear teachings of Jesus and the actions of leaders representing Christian institutions. So many scandals. So many coverups. Millions of dollars misappropriated. Preachers with private jets. Christian groups selling out to politicians, to a million money-making schemes, etc., etc. It’s just too much and everyone is nauseated. Cognitive Dissonance So why is this gap so painful? And what does it mean for those of us who are caught in the middle? Psychologists have a term for what happens when you hold two conflicting experiences at the same time: cognitive dissonance. It’s deeply uncomfortable. Your brain wants consistency, coherence, alignment. When you believe one thing but your experience of it is different, it creates internal tension. And that’s exactly what millions of people are experiencing right now. They read the Gospels and they see Jesus—integrated, compassionate, righteous, radical, grace-filled. They’re drawn to Him. They want to follow Him. They love Him. But then they look at the ongoing flow of experience in their particular form of organized Christianity—and they think, “This doesn’t match.” The cognitive dissonance squeezes them. What makes it even more painful mentally is to say that if you have a problem with Christianity, you also have a problem with Jesus because it His Christianity and founded it. They’re trapped. Because if this Christianity around you is the system Jesus personally established and you have trouble with it, then you have trouble with Jesus. If you reject your church, you’re rejecting Christ. Sometimes you might even be told that your questions alone are evidence of rebellion against the Lord. So, in that case, you feel guilty for saying anything from that point on. You wonder if something is wrong with you. You try harder to make it work, to ignore the disconnect, to just have a faith life. But the dissonance doesn’t go away. It gets louder. And eventually, you face what feels like an impossible choice: “I can stay and live with the belief that all this is fake and I’m participating in it, or leave my Christianity and risk losing my relationship with Jesus too.” But I think that’s a false choice. There’s a third option. You don’t have to choose between blind compliance with flawed human religion, and wholesale abandonment of Jesus. Because Jesus and Christianity are not the same thing. Let me explain what I mean by that. Here’s the key insight that changed everything for me: Jesus is a person. Christianity is a system. Jesus is alive, dynamic, personal, relational. Christianity is a set of beliefs, practices, organizational structures, activities and traditions. You can have a relationship with Jesus. You can’t have a relationship with a system, even if it’s Christianity. Christianity is the circumference. Jesus is the bullseye. Everything else—Christians, church history, traditions, denominations, theologians—are the outer rings. Jesus is the center. When there’s a conflict between Jesus and Christianity—and there are many— Jesus must win. Always. Internally, if there’s a conflict between how Jesus says to live and how I actually live, Jesus must win if I'm to be his disciple. Jesus is the Standard. Christianity is the Attempt. Perfect vs Imperfect What I mean is that Jesus is the perfect revelation of God. He is God in the flesh. Christianity is humanity’s numerous imperfect attempts to follow Him in an organized way. It’s a human thing. Jesus is eternal and divine. “Christianity” is a jumble of traditions, organizations, rituals, political alliances, and businesses, organized by at least 40,000 separate groups of humans attempting to live out the Jesus way. We’re going to get it wrong sometimes. We’re going to mess it up. Humans always do. But that doesn

    20 min

  4. FEB 3

    Why People Are Leaving Christianity

    Hi Friend! Welcome to the Grounded Podcast 2026! We’re naming this season, ReJesus Everything! We’re going to explore the current crisis going on within Christianity worldwide, the reasons for it, and work to recover the original foundation of the Christian movement—Jesus himself. I hope you’ll stay with us throughout this series and add your perspective in the chat and comment section. Let’s dive in! 47,000 is a Big Number Last Sunday 47,000 Americans walked out of church for the last time. They didn’t plan it. They didn’t make a big announcement. They just... didn’t go back. And here’s the thing—most of them still love Jesus. They’re not rejecting Him. They’re rejecting This system that has grown up around Him. If you’ve ever felt that tension—if you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to love Jesus and still feel deeply unsettled by Christianity as you’ve experienced it—then this season of the Grounded podcast is for you. The Data According to research from The Great Dechurching by Jim Davis and Michael Graham, 40 million American adults—16% of the U.S. population—used to go to church but no longer do. This represents the last 25 years, roughly from 1998 to 2023. Let me put that in perspective. This is the largest and fastest religious shift in the history of the United States. More people have left the church in this period than all the new converts from the First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, and Billy Graham’s crusades combined. And it’s not just happening in America. Across Europe, church attendance has also plummeted. In Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and even among Chinese house churches, the story is the same. Traditional Christianity is in decline across most of the world. But here’s what’s important to understand: this doesn’t seem to be primarily a story of people rejecting Jesus. It’s a story of people rejecting what their local form of Christianity has become. According to the Barna Group, 42% of all U.S. adults say they have deconstructed the faith of their youth. Why We’re Devoting This Season to The Topic of Reconstructing the Christian Faith This isn’t a fringe movement of angry ex-Christians. This is happening in the pews, in Christian colleges, in pastors’ families, and in missionary communities around the world. The quiet exodus is real. It’s massive. And it’s accelerating. Sherry and I’ve spent more than four decades in full-time ministry—inside churches, seminaries, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations. We’ve seen Christianity at its best. We’ve also seen it drift—sometimes far—from the person it claims to follow. This is the first episode in a new season of the Grounded podcast. It’s is not about defending Christianity. And it’s not about abandoning faith. It’s about re-centering everything—belief, discipleship, spirituality, mission—directly on Jesus, not the religion built around Him. The living person Himself. Most conversations about this subject leave you with two choices: * Defend Christianity as it is * Leave everything entirely But I believe there is a third way: to reJesus everything. (More on that later.) The Global Exodus from Institutional Christianity. Okay, so let’s unpack this. Something historic is happening beneath the surface of Christianity that many Christians haven’t noticed. Large numbers of people raised in Christianity (we’re talking millions here) are no longer finding spiritual nourishment within its institutions. In the last five years alone (basically since Covid), approximately 15 million regular church attenders in the USA alone have stopped going to church. Many others are still attending occasionally, still listening to sermons online, still praying—but with a growing sense of distance and fatigue. They are fading out. This is not rebellion; it’s disillusionment. Losing Faith in the Train It’s like being in a once-busy train station late at night. The lights are still on. The signs still work. The announcements are blaring, but fewer and fewer people are boarding the train. There’s no big protest going on. It’s just that fewer and fewer people still believe that train will take them home. The good news is that despite popular narratives, most people in the current faith crisis are not rejecting Jesus. They are stumbling over the gap between the Jesus of the Gospels and the Christianity they experience in real life. When belief systems, practices, power structures, or cultural battles seem to contradict Jesus’ words and way, something inside us resists. That resistance may actually be a sign of spiritual integrity. The Anatomy of a Faith Crisis Faith crises rarely happen all at once. They begin with small questions, quiet disappointments, unresolved contradictions. Over time, the weight accumulates until the structure can no longer hold. What feels like sudden collapse is often a long, invisible unraveling. Think of a rope under tension. It doesn’t snap immediately. Individual fibers begin to fray—one by one—until eventually the rope can no longer carry the load. I’m bringing this up because millions of sincere Christians around the world are under that tension, and for many of them, it’s more than their rope can support. In case you’re thinking of walking away Many people assume they must choose between staying in Christianity as it is or abandoning faith entirely. But that may be a false choice. Before walking away, it’s worth asking a deeper question: am I leaving Jesus—or am I leaving a system that no longer reflects Him? That distinction changes everything for me. It’s the difference between leaving a noisy, overcrowded marketplace—and leaving the person you came there to meet. If you’re listening to this and thinking, “This is me,” I believe that your questions are not a failure of faith. They may be an invitation to return—not to a simpler religion—but to the center of it all. I believe God is moving around the world, responding to those who are reaching out to him even if they feel really disconnected to the institutional forms of Christianity they may have grown up in. This is a life journey. No rush. No pressure. It’s too important for that. In this season, we just want to make an honest return to the question that matters most: Who is Jesus—and what does it actually mean to follow Him? In this season, our series is entitled “Re-Jesus Everything.” If you think this discussion could be important to someone you know and love, please forward a link to them. In the next episode, we’re going to talk about that strange inner experience many people are having right now—feeling drawn to Jesus, but increasingly alienated from Christianity. Why that split exists. Why it’s growing. And why it might be the beginning of something healthier, not the end of belief. I would love to hear from you in the comment section on YouTube and on Substack, which is my home, at Quinley.com. Thanks for reading! This week’s discussion question is: In your opinion, what are the friction points causing so many to drift away? I look forward to hearing from you. Grounded Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. No pressure. I just want to keep the conversation going. Get full access to Grounded Podcast at www.quinley.com/subscribe

    11 min

  5. 09/15/2025

    Jesus Quest #4: Make a Genuine Sacrifice for Those with Less

    Hi Disciple! Money. In 2 Corinthians 8-10 Paul spends three whole chapters just talking about giving money away. There's tipping, then there's truly sacrificing something you love to meet the true need of another person who is suffering and stuck. I was raised in an ascending lower middle class family. My dad's people were hard-working farmers and turpentine gatherers. Not much money in that. My dad's generation got more education and all of them left farming for factory and professional jobs. My dad became an accountant and rose to become the head of the entire international firm. That’s America. This journey took a lifetime. My generation across the extended family got the benefit of our parent’s steady rise. I think all of us got the education we wanted and with it all the opportunities we could pursue. Like all other families, we had times when money was short and we had to work harder to have the things we wanted. We always had food, shelter, and clothing, however. For this, I'm so grateful. For the past 35 years Sherry and I have lived in Southeast Asia and in the last 10 years we’ve been working closely with a ministry focused on trafficking which connects to the deepest kind of poverty. I sat at a table in a communist country with ministry friends talking to a young lady, modestly dressed, about her current work as a prostitute. She said she was from the mountains, doing this job to try and get the money to pay someone to take her to Malaysia so she could get a job in a factory. Poverty is complicated. I’m not sure there’s a clear formula for eradicating it. In general, good food and a chance to get an education seem to be a working prescription. This young lady’s entire life story could've been rewritten had she just been embraced by a local church that loved her and saw her potential and would help her find transformation through Jesus. There she could have put her chaotic childhood to good use as fuel for a determination to break the cycle in her own life and for her family members. She intended to send her factory wages home to them. The body of Christ is so powerful when it pulls together. At other times there’s a disaster and God’s people sacrifice and throw their tools and extra beddings and food in the backs of pickup trucks and fly out to give help in those crucial first hours after a tornado, flood or fire. We can feel God’s smile on us in those times. Paul’s Counsel to the Corinthians If you read 2 Corinthians 8-10 you'll find Paul telling the church that they need to put some system into their good intentions. Most people have good intentions. They sincerely want to be a blessing on the Earth. Paul reminds this gifted, wealthy church that good intentions are not enough. They need to make a plan as givers, set giving goals, and start pooling the money up, not waiting for a moment of inspiration. Sherry and I have been able to give every day of our lives to world evangelism and the training of a new generation of leaders because of a set of friends who emerged in the first ten years of our journey (you know who you are). These friends made a plan and told us, “You can count on us monthly for X amount. We won’t stop as long as we have jobs.” We’ve watched our friends return from the field year by year because they lacked a group of friends like ours. Systems matter. Systems make things happen. Maybe it’s an extra 5% set aside to create your giving pool. Maybe it’s that emergency $100 in your wallet. Some kind of plan so that when you see someone pumping gas into a milk jug to carry to their broke down car you can put some money in their hand and give them a ride back to their car. This Jesus Quest is about stepping up your level of sacrifice for those who are in trouble so you can be God’s hands extended to them. It’s a happy lesson, because it’s one of the big ways we can all fulfill our purpose as humans created to be the image of God. Hope you Enjoy this Quest and work on it daily! Every Blessing, Chuck PS: Your daily prompt questions are below the video for this week. Thanks for reading Grounded! This post is public so feel free to share it. Here are the prompts for your devotional time this week: ## Jesus Quest Week 4: Making Genuine Sacrifice for the Poor ### Day 1: Recognizing the Poor Among Us **Scripture Reference:** Deuteronomy 15:11 > "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land." **Reflection:** This week Jesus Quest has us trying to decide how to rewrite the life story of other people by intervening in life conditions caused by poverty. For example, no little girl dreams of being a prostitute someday—that life generally comes to the poor. Some families suffer from generational poverty and they just can't reach high enough to unlock the door to a better life. God will bless us so we can be a blessing to them and boost them up through interventions so that they can escape the poverty that has trapped their family for generations. **Prompts:** 1. How does God's command to be "openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy" apply to your community today? 2. Who are the poor that you know? Is anyone you know under a financial burden or limited from pursuing their development because of a lack of resources? 3. Are there specific people or families you feel God is calling you to help in some way? 4. What is stopping you from reaching out or offering help to those in need? 5. How has God opened your eyes to see poverty and need in places you might have previously overlooked? 6. What assumptions about poverty or the poor might be preventing you from engaging with compassion? 7. How can you develop a heart that truly sees and responds to the poor as God sees them? --- ### Day 2: Understanding Genuine Sacrifice vs. Comfortable Giving **Scripture Reference:** Mark 12:41-44 > "Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.'" **Reflection:** Sometimes our intervention hardly affects us—we have extra money or things and we share them with others. This week we're focused on genuine sacrifices that we need to make on behalf of others. Jesus distinguished between giving out of abundance and giving sacrificially. True sacrifice costs us something significant and requires faith that God will provide for our needs as we provide for others. **Prompts:** 1. How does the widow's sacrificial giving challenge your understanding of what constitutes genuine sacrifice? 2. What valuable resources (money, time, skills, influence) have you been given that you can honestly say you are willing to put on the altar for others' benefit? 3. What's the difference between giving out of your abundance versus giving sacrificially? Which characterizes most of your giving? 4. What would genuine sacrifice look like in your current financial and life situation? 5. What fears or concerns hold you back from making sacrificial gifts to help the poor? 6. How might God be calling you to trust Him more deeply through sacrificial giving? 7. Are you willing to sacrifice anonymously, without recognition or acknowledgment? --- ### Day 3: Empowerment vs. Dependency - Wise Intervention **Scripture Reference:** 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 > "For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.' We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat." **Reflection:** True love for the poor requires wisdom in how we help. Our goal is not to create dependency but to provide genuine intervention that lifts people up and helps them escape the cycles that have trapped them. This requires discernment, relationship, and sometimes tough love that encourages responsibility alongside provision. **Prompts:** 1. How does Paul's teaching about work and responsibility inform your approach to helping the poor? 2. How can you ensure that your help empowers people rather than creating dependency? 3. What is genuine intervention that lifts people up versus help that might actually harm in the long run? 4. What skills, connections, or opportunities can you provide beyond just financial assistance? 5. How can you build relationships with those you help rather than just providing charity? 6. What would it look like to address root causes of poverty rather than just symptoms? 7. How can you help people develop their own capacity to escape generational poverty? --- ### Day 4: Examining Your Heart and Motivation **Scripture Reference:** 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 > "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." **Reflection:** Our motivation for helping the poor matters as much as our actions. God desires cheerful, generous hearts that give freely rather than grudgingly. When we examine our hearts honestly, we may discover mixed motives—seeking recognition, alleviating guilt, or maintaining control. True sacrifice flows from a pure-hearted desire to serve like Jesus. **Prompts:** 1. How does Paul's description of cheerful giving challenge you to examine your heart motivation? 2. What is your attitude or motivation when you consider giving sacrificially—do you se

    8 min

  6. 09/08/2025

    Jesus Quest #3: Fixing Your Damaged Relationships by Apologizing

    Humans Need Community Humans require community in order to survive. We are not like sharks or some other solitary animal which can do just fine on their own. From the dawn of time, we survive because we build communities that develop into civilization. With that arrangement, there will be security from predators, more than enough food, and extra hands to help everyone survive. The greatest threat to human survival is not a T-Rex, it turns out. We have survived every apex predator that has walked the Earth in our time on the planet. The greatest threat to humans is simply the breakdown in their feelings for one another. Friends become enemies, and the love we felt before can become channeled into a murderous rage. Fixing damaged relationships matters to God. Jesus said that we should not bother to continue with our religious practices of church going and Bible study, making prayers, or offering sacrifices to God, until we have fixed our damaged relationships. He said just leave the gift at the altar and go fix it, then come back and God will want to be with you. He will even leave his blessing on the works of your hands, but only if you fix things. Fixing things often requires an apology on your part. How to Destroy an Apology There are two ways to torpedo an apology even after you gathered up the courage to face the problem with someone you’ve hurt. “But”—you can spend 20 minutes, apologizing with absolute sincerity, then, as you wipe your tears and blow your nose this one little word can undo everything you have said. Do not end an apology with the word “but”. You're gonna be so tempted to offer some kind of justification for what you have done so it won't be quite as bad on you but resist the temptation. Just put a period at the end of that apology and say, "So I hope you can forgive me for doing that” and then look at them until they speak. Probably it will get really easy at that point and you may have saved your friendship, working relationship or even your marriage. “If” —this is not quite as bad as the last word, but it is a form of equivocation, sort of like a plea bargain with the judge, when you are trying to get the crime down to a misdemeanor. “I'm sorry if I might've done something that might have contributed…” :-) that's a really cowardly way to start things off. By adding the word “if” to the apology, we muddy the water. Did you do something wrong or not? If you did not, then don't apologize. If you did, then toughen up and give a legitimate apology, admitting what you did. Even if you don’t feel that you did the wrong (and who does?) if you have a messed up relationship there’s probably something you could legitimately apologize for just to get the conversation started. Apologize for any little thing you have contributed, and then say something like, “I value our friendship and I really don't want anything to mess that up.” Smile and wait for them to speak. The point is that as far as Jesus is concerned, it's not OK to scratch off relationship after relationship because something went wrong and you are not willing to go face that person and try to save your relationship. So, if we want to be a disciple of his, we have to live by a higher standard than that. Here’s this week’s Jesus Quest challenge. Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. And here are this week’s prayer prompts: ## Jesus Quest Week 3: Fixing Damaged Relationships - Apologizing and Making Restitution ### Day 1: Examining Your Heart and Taking Responsibility **Scripture Reference:** Matthew 7:3-5 > "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Reflection: Before we can effectively repair damaged relationships, Jesus calls us to honest self-examination. This week we are going to do some amazing repair work on our relational network, but it begins with taking responsibility for our own contributions to relational damage. The Holy Spirit will guide us in strengthening these relationships and mitigating any pain being felt by others. Prompts: 1. How does Jesus' teaching about removing the plank from your own eye apply to your damaged relationships? 2. Have you done anything that contributed to the problems in your damaged relationships? 3. What patterns do you see in your relational conflicts that might indicate areas where you need to grow? 4. Are you willing to take responsibility for your part in relational damage, even when the other person was also wrong? 5. What fears or pride might be preventing you from taking the first step toward reconciliation? 6. Who is the Holy Spirit telling you to contact this week? 7. Do you need to speak out your apology even to someone now dead just to get it said and off your heart? --- Day 2: Restoring Family Relationships Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:31-32 > "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." **Reflection:** Family relationships are often the most challenging to repair because they involve our deepest wounds and longest histories. Yet these are also the relationships that can bring the greatest healing when restored. God calls us to approach our family members with the same kindness and compassion that Christ has shown us. Prompts: 1. How can Paul's instruction to "get rid of all bitterness" guide your approach to family relationships that need repair? 2. Which family relationships are currently strained or damaged? What specific issues need to be addressed? 3. Who in your family network should you reach out to and affirm that you respect and value them? 4. Are there family members you need to apologize to for specific words or actions? 5. What bitterness, rage, or anger toward family members do you need to release before attempting reconciliation? 6. How can you show kindness and compassion to family members who have hurt you, following Christ's example? 7. What practical steps will you take this week to begin healing a damaged family relationship? --- Day 3: Repairing Workplace and Professional Relationships Scripture Reference: Colossians 3:23-24 > "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Reflection: Our workplace relationships are opportunities to demonstrate Christ's love and character. When these relationships are damaged, it affects not only our work environment but also our witness. Approaching workplace reconciliation with the mindset that we are ultimately serving Christ transforms how we handle professional conflicts and restoration. Prompts: 1. How does viewing your work relationships as service to Christ change your approach to workplace conflicts? 2. Which workplace relationships are currently strained? What role did you play in these conflicts? 3. Are there colleagues, supervisors, or business partners you need to apologize to for professional mistakes or attitudes? 4. Who in your workplace should you have coffee with just to try and restore the flow between you, even if there hasn't been a known problem? 5. What professional promises have you broken that might require an apology or restitution? 6. How can you demonstrate Christ's character in your approach to workplace reconciliation? 7. What fears are holding you back from reaching out to repair professional relationships? --- Day 4: Navigating Romantic and Intimate Relationship Restoration Scripture Reference: 1 Peter 4:8 > "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." Reflection: Romantic relationships require special wisdom when it comes to restoration, as we must be careful not to create new problems on top of old ones. Whether dealing with current relationships or past ones, we must approach restoration with deep love, appropriate boundaries, and careful consideration of all parties involved. Prompts: 1. How does Peter's teaching about love covering "a multitude of sins" guide your approach to romantic relationship restoration? 2. Are there current romantic relationships that need healing? What specific issues need to be addressed with love and honesty? 3. Regarding your romantic past, are there apologies that need to be made while maintaining appropriate boundaries? 4. What wisdom do you need from God and trusted advisors before attempting to restore a relationship with someone with whom you were once romantically involved? 5. How can you ensure that attempts at restoration don't create new pain or complications for anyone involved? 6. What patterns in your romantic relationships need to change to prevent future damage? --- Day 5: Healing Church and Spiritual Community Relationships Scripture Reference: Luke 19:8-9 > "But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.' Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.'" Reflection: Church relationships can be the most painful to repair because they involve our spiritual family and sacred trust. Yet Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus shows us that true repentance often requires restitution—making things right in practical ways. In our church we have a belief called "restitution where possible"—a beautiful idea that our hearts tell us to

    11 min

  7. 09/01/2025

    Jesus Quest #2: Forgive Everyone for Everything

    Hi! Hope you are having a great day today and also that last week’s focus on walking with Jesus as a true disciple has brought new growth into your life. Forgiveness Week Today week 2 of our 7-week discipleship sprint begins! This week is about fixing our heart and cleaning out the hurts. In live we accumulate wounds. Some are suffered in our childhood. Others come through a failed romantic love. Probably the deepest and most abiding happen in our family. It could be from your extended family, or your mom and dad, your brothers, or even your children or grandchildren. There are betrayals in our career usually because money and position are involved. Then, there are those horrible hurts that occur in church. Usually we don't see these coming and they really hit us hard. Any of these that stick to us rob us of joy and interfere with the forgiveness Jesus wants to bring to us. So this week, we're gonna deal with all that stuff and get rid of it, OK? Here are your Prayer Prompts: Use one each day as your devotional time with the Lord. They are designed to unearth hidden hurts so you can follow the process of:1. Listing the person who did it2. Writing exactly what they did3. Describing how it affected you 4. Declaring them as released from all debt to you You may think that you don’t need to do this because you did it once already, but let’s follow the program anyway and ask the Holy Spirit to do a deep healing this week in you. Long term marriage generally had lots of irritation under the skin as you repeat in your mind some well-worn criticisms of your partner. This is the week to let it all go and start living with more freedom. Prayer Prompts ### Day 1: Wounds Received in Your Family **Scripture Reference:** Zechariah 13:6-7 > "And they shall say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will answer, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'" **Additional Reading:** Genesis 44-45 (Joseph's revelation of himself to his betraying brothers. You can tell he has long ago forgiven them and sees the sovereign purpose of God even in their treachery against him.) **Reflection:** Welcome to Forgiveness Week! Today we begin our journey into forgiveness by thinking about the wounds we have all suffered in our family and intimate friendship circle. Because family is supposed to be the safe place in our life, and the one place we would never expect to receive hurt, these wounds go the deepest. They also come the earliest in our life, and since we are still in formation, the impact of these wounds is generally felt for the rest of our lives. **Forgiveness Protocol:** This week we will begin a long time of soul cleansing. This will entail something of a ceremony of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the cancelling of a debt. In order to do this we must name the debtor, state exactly what they did to us, and explain how their actions affected us. That's the debt, our of our heart and now recorded officially on paper. The only remaining step is to go before the Lord and say, "I release you" to each debtor. They owe us nothing from this point on. We are free to move on in life with the matter at rest in the lap of the great Judge of the earth. Take a blank sheet of paper and make four columns for the following headings: Name, What they Did, How it Affected Me, I Forgive them. Day by day we will carefully examine the path of our lives to unearth buried hurts we have received and release these person and the wound they caused us. **Prompts:** 1. Looking back at your early childhood, can you identify a hurt or rejection that still affects how you see yourself or trust others today? 2. In your teen years or young adulthood, what wounds—whether from parents, siblings or extended relatives—still carry weight in your heart? 3. Were you assaulted by a family member or close friend? 4. Were you hurt by a system of favoritism within your family? 5. Were you betrayed by anyone in your inner circle? 6. Were you sexually wounded by someone you trusted? 7. Were you physically or verbally abused by family members? 8. Did someone in your family introduce you to dark or harmful things? Ask the Lord to help you surface wounds received in your family as a child, young person or even now. We praying for you this week to go through the deepest cleansing your heart has ever known. --- ### Day 2: Forgiving Wounds Received in Romantic Relationships **Scripture Reference:** 1 Peter 4:8 > "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." **Reflection:** Romantic relationships, while often sources of joy and connection, can also lead to deep emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds due to their intimate nature. Below is a detailed exploration of specific ways a person can be wounded in romantic relationships. As you survey your relational past, think on ways you might have been wounded and are just trying to ignore it instead of facing it and forgiving it. **Prompts:** 1. How does Peter's teaching about love covering "a multitude of sins" guide your approach to forgiving romantic wounds? 2. Have you experienced emotional neglect from a romantic partner—when they consistently ignored or minimized your feelings? 3. Have you suffered verbal or emotional abuse, including harsh words, relentless criticism, controlling behavior, or gaslighting? 4. Have you experienced abandonment or rejection—being left by a partner through breakup, divorce, sudden withdrawal, or being "ghosted"? 5. Were there broken promises or unmet expectations that led to disappointment and disillusionment? 6. Have you experienced manipulation or control where a partner used guilt, coercion, or power dynamics to control your decisions or behavior? 7. Have you been wounded by a partner's lack of forgiveness or their holding grudges against you? 8. Have you experienced sexual disrespect, coercion, or disregard for your boundaries? 9. Have you been betrayed through infidelity, emotional affairs, or other violations of trust? --- ### Day 3: Forgiving Wounds Suffered in the Context of Our Work Life **Scripture Reference:** Colossians 3:23-24 > "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." **Reflection:** Our workplace relationships are opportunities to demonstrate Christ's love and character. When these relationships are damaged by wounds we've received, it affects not only our work environment but also our witness. Approaching workplace forgiveness with the mindset that we are ultimately serving Christ transforms how we handle professional hurts. **Prompts:** 1. Have you been betrayed by colleagues or superiors-—undermined, deceived, or had credit taken for your work? 2. Have you experienced unfair treatment or discrimination based on gender, race, age, faith, or other factors? 3. Have you faced workplace bullying or harassment—verbal abuse, intimidation, public humiliation, or aggressive criticism? 4. Have you suffered job loss or unfair termination without clear explanation? 5. Have employers or business partners broken professional promises regarding raises, promotions, equity shares, or project support? 6. Have you received excessive criticism or had your contributions consistently ignored or undervalued? 7. Have you experienced workplace competition and sabotage—colleagues undermining you to gain advantage? 8. Have you been overburdened with excessive workloads or unrealistic deadlines without adequate support? 9. Have you faced pressure to compromise your Christian values or experienced judgment for your faith in a secular workplace? --- ### Day 4: Forgiving Wrongs Suffered in the Church **Scripture Reference:** Psalm 55:12-14 > "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, who has done this. We took sweet counsel together and walked among the throng at the house of God." **Reflection:** Today we focus on forgiving wounds suffered in the church. This is such a sensitive matter for all of us who follow Jesus, especially for those of us who have dedicated a significant amount of our passion and energy to ministry in any form. In a church setting, we can experience a range of emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds due to the deeply personal and trusting nature of these environments. These wounds can be particularly painful because we believe churches and religious figures should be safe sources of spiritual care, and we let our guard completely down. These hurts go deep. **Prompts:** 1. How does David's pain about being wounded by a close friend and companion in the house of God resonate with your church experiences? 2. Have you experienced public embarrassment, judgment, or condemnation from church members or leaders for personal choices, struggles, or sins? 3. Have you suffered spiritual abuse or manipulation where religious representatives misused their authority in order to control or coerce you? 4. Have you been excluded, shunned, ignored, or rejected from the church community? 5. Have you been betrayed by trusted leaders who violated your trust or used craftiness to disadvantage you? 6. Have you witnessed or been hurt by hypocrisy or double standards where church members acted contrary to Jesus' teachings? 7. Have you been caught up in unresolved conflicts, church splits, or factionalism within a congregation? 8. Have you faced legalism and rigid expectations that went beyond biblical principles and were enforced without grace? 9. Have you experienced neglect or lack of support from the church during personal crises when you needed care? 10. Have you been hurt by moral or ethical failures of religious representatives, such as financial misconduct or sexual scandals? 11. Have you been shamed or dismiss

    6 min

  8. 08/26/2025

    Oh No! Only 18 Weeks Left in the Year!

    OK, I just lifted my head from my work today (writing a book and putting the finishing touches on our two upcoming schools in Thailand (Photojournalism and Content Creation for missions) and realized there were only 18 week’s left in the entire year. This happens every year. I putt along being busy, always busy, then on some day about 2/3 through the year, I realize how short the time is if I want to make this one a “significant” year. (Mid life does the same thing in a much more scary way, right?) Jesus Quest JQ is the most amazing thing I’ve been involved with all year. We’ve seen “old time Christians” revived in their faith and newbies grounded on their journey with Jesus. So, I’d like to propose a challenge for you. I’m going to do a seven week Jesus Quest sprint via email blast and I really hope you’ll join and make it a priority. It may very well be the most important thing you’ll do all year. How it’s Different Jesus Quest is not a Bible study. It’s a guided group experience in Action Discipleship. That means we actually DO, not talk about, one practice of Jesus each week. It becomes our focus all week in our devotions and it is the ONE item on our daily to do list. Hope you’re ready! When will it Start? More Good News! No waiting! Let’s start now. Click the Video Below. Check the CHAT below all week for our ongoing reports on what Jesus is teaching all of us as we do his teachings. We’re going to actually be disciples of Jesus, not just students of the Bible! Jesus Quest Week One: Master Your Things Here are the Prayer prompts for this week: Spend 15 minutes each day before the Lord working your way through an honest conversation with the Holy Spirit to answer these questions. Then get up from your prayer time and take action. The point is to do the teachings and practices of Jesus, not just study them. If you will dedicate yourself to applying the ways of God to your own life, you will see tremendous progress in your life in just seven weeks. --- ## Jesus Quest Week 1: Mastering Your Things - Let Jesus Help You Master Things ### Day 1: Mastering Things We Ingest - Food, Drink, Medicines, and Stimulants **Scripture Reference:** 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 > "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." **Reflection:** Our bodies are a gift from God, and what we choose to ingest impacts our health and well-being. Jesus invites us to trust Him for health and healing rather than relying excessively on substances or fearing unhealthiness. When we view our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, our consumption choices become acts of worship and stewardship. **Prompts:** 1. How does viewing your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit change your perspective on what you choose to ingest? 2. Are there unhealthy habits or fears controlling your choices about what you eat, drink, or consume? 3. What substances—food, drink, medicines, or stimulants—might be hindering your physical health or spiritual well-being? 4. Are there habits of hoarding, overeating, or over-relying on medications that may indicate a need to trust God more for your health and safety? 5. Do you over-medicate? What does that say about you? 6. Do you celebrate and honor your experience of eating good meals, savoring your meals and focusing on the power of a shared meal to build relationships? --- ### Day 2: Trust in God's Provision - Houses, Clothing, and Resources **Scripture Reference:** Matthew 6:25-26, 31-33 > "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ... So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." **Reflection:** God provides all of us daily with all that we need—our homes, clothing, and resources. Today is an opportunity to release what no longer serves us, freeing our hearts and minds for the new days to come. It is also a time to celebrate the lifetime provision promised from our Father. We can live in peace, confident that our needs will always be met. **Prompts:** 1. Despite all the blessings in your life, is there any poverty mindset still living in you that contradicts Jesus' teaching about God's provision? 2. Is your space cluttered by too many possessions? Do you have an obsessive need to continually buy more things? 3. Do you have expensive possessions that make you feel a trace of arrogance or superiority over others? 4. Do you live in conscious gratitude for the level of house, clothing, and transportation you own? 5. What possessions or attachments do you need to give away as a surrender to Jesus today? 6. What fears about your needs can you release to Jesus today, trusting in His promise to provide? 7. Is there something in your home, closet, or life that you need to declutter or give away? 8. Is there anything you need to burn, donate, or destroy because of its hold on you? --- ### Day 3: Mastering Technology and Tools - Especially Mobile Devices **Scripture Reference:** 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 > "'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others." **Reflection:** There's never been a tool greater than the mobile phone. It can do seemingly anything! As with all things, this amazing tool has become a major source of bondage to children of God around the world, causing anxiety, depression, and becoming a gateway to materialism and harmful content. Disciples must take a serious look at the outsized role their phone has in their life and ask whether this tool is truly serving God's purposes. **Prompts:** 1. How does Paul's teaching about beneficial versus permissible apply to your relationship with technology and tools? 2. How often do you check your phone without a specific reason, and what do you feel when you can't check it? 3. Can you go a full day without using your phone, like putting it in a box for 24 hours? If not, what stops you? 4. Do you feel anxious, restless, or incomplete when your phone is out of reach or turned off? 5. How much of your phone use is purposeful (e.g., work, learning, connecting meaningfully) versus mindless scrolling or habit? 6. Have you ever missed out on in-person moments—like conversations or experiences—because you were focused on your phone? 7. Do you use your phone right before bed or first thing in the morning? How might this affect your connection with God? 8. If someone asked you to turn off your phone for a day each week as a spiritual discipline, how would that idea make you feel, and why? --- ### Day 4: Things Believed to Have Value in Themselves - Status, Luck, and Security **Scripture Reference:** Matthew 19:21-22 > "Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth." **Reflection:** Some possessions we hold onto not for their practical use, but because we believe they bring us confidence, status, luck, or security. These items can become idols that compete with our trust in God. Jesus challenged the rich young ruler to examine what truly had value in his life, and He asks us the same question today. **Prompts:** 1. Like the rich young ruler, what possessions or status symbols might be keeping you from fully following Jesus? 2. Do you have anything that you feel brings you confidence, status, or luck apart from God? 3. Are there possessions you use to impress others or establish your identity? 4. Do you hold onto any objects or charms believing they will bring you luck or protect you from harm? How does relying on these affect your trust in God's protection and sovereignty? 5. If Jesus challenged you as He did the rich young ruler to abandon 100% of your possessions and come follow Him with only the clothes on your body, what fears or feelings might emerge? 6. Does having extra finances make you feel more secure than trusting in God's provision? 7. How would your life change if you truly trusted the Father to be your 100% provision and security from cradle to grave? What fears would melt away? --- ### Day 5: Gratitude and Stewardship - Celebrating God's Provision **Scripture Reference:** 1 Timothy 6:17-19 > "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." **Reflection:** God has richly provided us with everything for our enjoyment, but He calls us to hold these gifts with open hands. True mastery over our things comes not from accumulating more, but from recognizing God as the source of all provision and using what we have been given to bless others and advance His kingdom. **Prompts:** 1. If you've ever bought a book, that action alone places you in the top half of all humans, financially. Do you feel rich? Why or why not? 2. How does Paul's instruction to "put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everyth

    8 min
See All (36)

Ratings & Reviews

About

Millions are walking away from church but not from Jesus. Over 25 episodes, author and missionary Chuck Quinley diagnoses what's gone wrong with global Christianity and offers a radical solution: ReJesus everything. Restore the central authority of Jesus alone as chief theologian and leader of the mission. Strip away 2,000 years of accumulated traditions and return to the simple, powerful path of following Jesus himself—his words, his practices, his mission. www.quinley.com

Information