Starved Series Speaker: Brian Kiley 11/05/2017 @ 7:30pm
Our guest speaker, Brian Kiley, gave us a wonderful sermon for the Starved Series.“If I’m 'supposed' to read The Bible because it’s good for me, then what do I do when I don’t want to?” There’s an issue behind that question that we need to be clear about. Where in your life do you feel most free to be yourself? Where do you feel like you don’t have to hide and have any fear of judgment? The ability to be honest about who you are is absolutely crucial for your wholeness and your relationship with God. The pressure of pretending to be someone you’re not will break you eventually, and that’s why the question is asked: “Where in your life do you feel free to be YOU?” There are a few things you need to understand about the Church of Jesus Christ. When it’s functioning properly, it is a safe place. It’s a place of radical acceptance and love. If the church fails to be that safe place, then we have forgotten what God has created the Church for. The church has to be a place where you are free to be you. Our series in Bryte Youth is called “Starved”. It’s a wonderful series for it speaks of the human condition in many ways. So many of us are starved. We must find a safe place where we are able to admit that we are hungry. Oftentimes we come to church with a skewed image of the church. In your eyes, everyone is pretty and perfect, and you are the only one who's broken and hurting. The reason for those thoughts creeping in is because the enemy doesn't want you to see the real beauty of the church. The enemy doesn't want you to realize that every single person is broken; the church comes together in our brokenness to Christ so that He may make us whole. You must understand that the Church is a place of grace. It is a place where you can admit that you are starved because most of the people there are just as hungry as you are, so allow yourself to take in the Word of God with His people.