Us vs. Them: How We Lost the Plot — And Why Surrender Matters More Than Strategy
Episode 13 of Prayers from the Middle
Here’s the latest podcast episode. I hope you enjoy it.
Hi my friend,
I hope today’s episode helped ease up something inside of you. Maybe you grew up with the pressure of that secret agenda type feeling that came every Sunday or Wednesday night. I remember feeling so weird about inviting friends to church because it felt like such a little club, you know?
I can tell you that talking about and re-thinking my relationships with people, all the every kind of people, has made me want to just know Jesus more, quite honestly. Because I think the more deeply I know Him, the more personal it is for me. And the more personal it is for me, the easier it is for me to trust Him to do His thing and let Him introduce Himself to them. In truth, He uses people just like you and me to introduce other people to Himself. So I guess our surrender and trust is pretty much where it starts, you know?
Anyway, here are some journal prompts for you. Maybe they will help you process some stuff as you keep thinking through it all. Let me know what you think? Man, I would sure love to hear from you!
1. When have you felt pressured to “share Jesus” instead of letting God introduce Himself?
Name the moment. What did it feel like in your body? What fear or expectation was driving you?
2. What shifts when you imagine evangelism as God introducing Himself rather than you convincing someone of the Gospel?
Reflect on the difference between sharing good news and protecting an institution.
3. What stories from your own life feel like God’s self‑introduction?
Write about a moment where God revealed something true about Himself to you — not through a church script, but through experience, presence, or honesty. What made that moment trustworthy?