Religion | Exodus: Healing from Toxic Religion - Part 2

Springcreek Church - Garland, TX Podcast

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EXODUS
Healing from Toxic Religion – Part 2
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
July 21, 2024
#god #realspringcreekchurch #healingfromtoxicreligion #exodus #toxicreligion #journey #testimony
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/
I want to take you on a journey today – a journey out of toxic religion. To do that, I want to tell you a little of my own story; what led me out of religious fundamentalism, the breaking that occurred in me, and the flaws I began to see in my own beliefs and practice. I want to teach you how to recognize toxic environments but more importantly, I want to teach you how much God longs for you to experience Him as He actually is. It’s my prayer that this message will lead to a spiritual breakthrough for you.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. In the Exodus narrative, it is clear that delivering the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage was not nearly as difficult as delivering them from the mindset of slavery. As Pastor Keith pointed out, there are many ways this still holds true even today. We can be delivered from a bad situation, or an addiction, or terrible choices, but still desperately need healing inside, or else we may end up right back in the same situation with a different person or different substance. Can you think of ways you have seen this played out in your personal life or those you care about? Why is it more difficult to change one’s thinking than it is to change one’s circumstances?
2. As Pastor Keith shared how he and Brenda nearly destroyed their own marriage, what stood out to you most in the things he shared? Was there any part of his story you could personally relate to? If so, what and why? Why do so many troubled marriages resist getting the help they need? Have you ever had any experiences with 12-step recovery that you would be willing to share?
3. One of the dominant characteristics in all toxic religion is conformity – an emphasis on external behavior over internal transformation. Jesus rebuked this approach in the Pharisees of His day. Pastor Keith also emphasized what distinguished the way Jesus thought and defined spirituality versus how the Pharisees thought and defined it. What is the difference between bounded set thinking versus centered set thinking? How do toxic churches use bounded set thinking? Why do people think more like the Pharisees than they do like Jesus?
4. Take some time to discuss Shane Claiborne’s quote, do you agree with it or not? Have you seen this in churches or groups that you have been a part of?
“One thing I’ve learned from believers and activists alike is that community can be built around a common self-righteousness or a common brokenness. Because both are magnetic. People are drawn toward folks who have it all together, or who look like they do. People are also drawn toward folks who know they don’t have it together and are not willing to fake it.” – Shane Claiborne
5. What have been your experiences with guilt and shame as it relates to your church experiences or how you were parented or even how you were taught? Why is guilting or shaming someone so toxic? What effect does it have on people?
6. Were there any other significant learnings or takeaways from today’s message for you?