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there are countless reasons why someone
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might not want to go to church life can
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get overwhelming with work family
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commitments or personal struggles and
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sometimes people feel disconnected
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judged or even hurt by others in the
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church for some past experiences might
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have left them feeling discouraged or
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distant from Faith communities others
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might feel like they don't fit in or are
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struggling with doubt about their faith
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wondering if God is really there for
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to help answer these questions let's
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take a moment to reflect on what church
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really is and why it matters while also
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understanding that God's love isn't
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limited to a building or a
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routine church is meant to be a
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community a place where we gather to
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support one another worship together and
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grow in faith but sometimes The Human
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Side of church where imperfections
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misunderstandings or even conflicts
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arise can make it difficult to feel that
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sense of belonging this doesn't make
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someone wrong for feeling this way it
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simply means there is something deeper
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to explore now what do you do if you
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feel this way the answer isn't always
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easy but it starts with prayer and
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honest reflection ask God for guidance
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on where he wants you to be you may need
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to find a new church where you feel more
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connected or even have a conversation
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with someone you trust to work through
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any negative experiences you've had the
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key is not to give up on the idea of
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community altogether because we are
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stronger when we support one another in
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our walk of Faith let me now offer a
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prayer that reflects this journey of
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understanding and healing and to ask God
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for his guidance for anyone who feels
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disconnected from church Heavenly Father
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we come before you today knowing that
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you see the hearts of everyone gathered
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here we ask for your guidance in this
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moment especially for those who feel
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uncertain disconnected or hurt when it
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comes to church Lord we know that life
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can bring many challenges and sometimes
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it feels easier to step away from The
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Community of Faith but we also know that
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you desire for us to be in Fellowship to
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support one another and to grow closer
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to you together we ask that you bless
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this time of reflection and prayer and
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that your Holy Spirit would move in the
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hearts of all who are listening or
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watching touch their hearts god with
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your love and comfort help them to see
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the importance of community in their
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faith journey and to know that they are
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never alone may they feel your presence
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guiding them whether they are struggling
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with doubt fear or past hurts bless
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their families and their homes and let
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this time be one of healing growth and
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deeper understanding of your purpose for
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their lives in Jesus name we pray amen
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let's take a moment to truly reflect on
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why some people struggle with attending
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church for many it's not about a lack of
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belief in God but rather the
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difficulties that come with Community
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Church ideally should be a place of
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peace love and encouragement but we know
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that at times it doesn't feel that way
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for everyone perhaps you've experienced
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moments where the church seemed like a
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place of judgment rather than Grace or
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maybe you've encountered conflict with
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others which left you feeling hurt or
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misunderstood sometimes it's simply a
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feeling of not belonging a sense that no
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one really sees you or understands what
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you're going through this is not an
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uncommon feeling in fact it's more
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widespread than we often realize there
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are many reasons people struggle with
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attending church and it's important to
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acknowledge them openly and without
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shame maybe the routine feels stale or
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the sermons don't seem relevant to your
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personal struggles perhaps you are
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battling with doubt or frustration with
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God himself questioning why life is so
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hard or why prayers seem unanswered or
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maybe you've just grown weary tired of
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putting on a mask each Sunday pretending
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that everything is fine when it's not
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but here's something we must remember
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church is not about perfection it's
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about Broken People coming together to
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seek the one who is perfect it's about
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admitting that we don't have it all
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together and that's okay because Jesus
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meets us in our weakness he doesn't
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expect us to have all the answers he
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just wants us to come as we are to be in
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his presence and in the presence of
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others who are also on their own unique
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Faith Journeys we see this throughout
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scripture in Hebrews 10:25 we are
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reminded let us not give up meeting
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together as some are in the habit of
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doing but let us encourage en one
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another this verse speaks to the heart
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of what church should be a place of
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encouragement but sometimes it doesn't
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feel that way and when it doesn't it's
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important to remember that God's love
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and grace extend beyond the walls of a
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church building he meets us wherever we
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are whether we're in the pews or sitting
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at home feeling disconnected the
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question isn't so much whether you are
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wrong for feeling hesitant about church
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but rather what is God trying to say to
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you in this season is he calling you to
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step out of your comfor Fort Zone and
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give Community another chance is he
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leading you to a new place where you can
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feel more connected or maybe he's simply
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asking you to be honest with him in
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prayer expressing your frustrations
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doubts and fears so what can you do if
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you're struggling with the idea of
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church start by seeking God's direction
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through prayer ask him to show you where
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he wants you to be sometimes the answer
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may be to persevere in your current
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church and work through the challenges
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other times he may lead you to find a
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new spiritual home one that better fits
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your needs and where you can grow and if
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you've been hurt by someone in the
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church it's essential to remember that
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people even those in the church are not
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perfect we all fall short but we are
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called to forgive to extend the same
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Grace that God extends to us it's not
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easy and it doesn't mean you should
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ignore the pain you've experienced but
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healing ask God to help you forgive and
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release any bitterness that may be
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holding you back from experiencing the
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church is meant to be a place of renewal
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but we are all responsible for creating
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that environment if you feel
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disconnected ask yourself how you might
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help build that sense of community
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again sometimes the healing starts with
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us taking the first step as we reflect
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further it's crucial to understand why
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Church matters in the first place in a
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world that often emphasizes
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individuality personal space and privacy
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it's easy to think that we can walk our
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after all we can pray at home read the
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Bible on our own and watch sermons
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online isn't that enough isn't that a
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valid way to pursue a relationship with
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God while all of those things are
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important and have their place Church
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adds a different layer to our faith
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experience there is something unique
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about gathering together with other
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believers people from different walks of
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life backgrounds and struggles who come
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together for a common purpose to worship
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God and to support one another in faith
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God's desire for us is to be in
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community from the very beginning we see
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this in the creation story in Genesis 2:
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18 God says it is not good for man to be
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alone this verse isn't just about
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marriage it speaks to the broader idea
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that we are made for relationships both
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with God and with others when Jesus came
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to Earth he didn't walk alone he
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gathered disciples he healed and taught
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people in groups and he created a
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community of followers who would carry
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on his work after he ascended to heaven
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the early church as described in Acts 2:
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42-47 gives us a beautiful picture of
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what Christian Community looks like they
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devoted themselves to the apostles
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teaching and to Fellowship to the
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breaking of bread and to prayer and the
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Lord added to their number daily those
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saved these early Believers didn't just
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attend church services they lived life
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together they supported one another
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shared meals prayed for one another and
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helped each other grow in their faith
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God doesn't expect us to walk this Faith
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Journey alone nor does he want us to
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church is more than a Sunday service
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it's a place where we can find people
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who will walk with us through the ups
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and downs of life it's a place where we
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can grow spiritually be challenged in
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our faith and learn from others
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experiences and most importantly it's a
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place where we can experience the love
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and grace of God through the love and
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grace of others if you're feeling
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disconnected from church maybe it's time
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to ask God to help you reconnect it
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doesn't have to be perfect in fact it
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won't be because churches are made up of
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imperfect people but it can be a place
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where you grow heal and experience the
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beauty of walking in community with
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others who are also seeking God if
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you've been hurt by the church this is a
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deeply personal and sensitive matter and
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it's okay to admit that the pain is real
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sometimes Church hurts because the
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people we expect to reflect Christ's
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love fall short it might have been a
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leader who failed a member who was harsh
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or unkind or even the entire community
9:04
that seemed to overlook your needs when
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this happens it can shake our faith and
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make us question not just the church but
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God himself it's important to
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acknowledge this pain and bring it
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before God one of the hardest but most
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powerful things you can do is forgive
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those who have hurt you forgiveness
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doesn't mean that what they did was
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right or that you should ignore the pain
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it means releasing the hold that
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bitterness has on your heart so that you
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can move forward in your relationship
9:30
with God and others Jesus himself was
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hurt by the people he came to save he
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was betrayed mocked and abandoned yet he
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forgave them showing us the path to
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Healing if you are in a place of hurt I
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encourage you to take small steps toward
9:44
healing pray for those who hurt you not
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because they deserve it but because your
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heart deserves peace ask God to guide
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you to a church where you can feel loved
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and supported and most of all trust that
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God sees your pain and is with you
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father God we lift up all who are
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struggling with their Church experience
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right now for those who have been hurt
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by others we ask for your healing touch
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help them to forgive Lord as you have
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forgiven us for those who feel
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disconnected or distant we ask that you
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draw them closer to you and guide them
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to a community where they can grow and
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feel at home Lord we know that church is
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not about perfect people but about
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broken people coming together to seek
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you help us to be open to your leading
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and give us the strength to overcome any
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fear doubt or hurt that might be holding
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us back in Jesus name we pray amen as we
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wrap up I encourage you to take time
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this week to reflect on your
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relationship with church and Community
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if you've been struggling know that it's
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okay to seek God's guidance and take
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steps toward healing share your thoughts
10:49
and experiences in the comments and
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don't forget to like this video And
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subscribe to our channel for more
10:55
Reflections and prayers if you're
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looking for a deeper connection consider
10:59
joining our membership group where we
11:01
offer exclusive prayers discussions and
11:04
a community that can walk with you on
11:06
your faith journey and remember no
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matter where you are or what you're
11:10
going through God's love is always with
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you you are never alone
