Looking for the Real God

On the first Summer bonus episode from 2022, Christy explores what characteristics define a cult. She finds it fascinating that those cult characteristics fit Bill Gothard's Institute that she was a part of in the 90s, as well as Warren Jeffs and his FLDS group, and even Mark Driscoll and the Mars Hill church. This summer Christy plans to release a few more bonus episodes with stories from her cult days. Although her story is extreme, all of us are susceptible to false teachers and cultic situations because they always seem good and always promise to meet needs that we feel in our hearts. Find out more characteristics by listening to tonight's episode.

Christy finishes her series on Christianese Phrases as well as Season 6 by looking at what it means to "get a word from the Lord." She explores similar phrases that can also be used to spiritualize any decision we make. It's easy to use Christianese to justify our own plans and desires. At the same time, Christy believes that the Holy Spirit is real and does speak to and guide us. How can we discern the difference between the Real Holy Spirit and our (or others) own desires? Scripture Referenced: John 14:25-26 Luke 12:11-12 1 John 4:1-3 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 Philippians 1:9-10; 4:8

Today's Christianese phrases is, "It's all part of God's plan." Christy dives into the potential motivations behind why we use this phrases and points out that it's often once again a form of spiritual bypassing. We say something Christian to avoid dealing with questions, doubts, and negative emotions. Digging into Scripture, Christy shows how we must hold the tension between God's goodness and power and the pain and trauma of our broken world. If we don't ask the hard questions and try to deal with the paradox we cannot really understand, our faith will be shallow. Scriptures Referenced: Jeremiah 32:17 Colossians 1:16 Isaiah 45:6-7 Psalm 115:3 Romans 11:33

Today Christy takes apart the Christianese phrase "just have faith." What do we mean when we tell people to "have faith?" What is the definition of faith? Can we really have enough faith to avoid sickness or poverty? Christy digs into Scripture and once again discovers the tension and paradox of truth. She looks into whether faith is required for healing and asks what faith actually accomplishes in our lives. Scriptures Referenced: Matthew 9, Luke 13, Hebrews 11, 13.

On today's episode Christy tackles the Christianese phrase, "God won't give you more than you can handle." Is this phrase biblical? Where did it come from? Why do people say it? Christy explores spiritual bypassing -- the way we quickly bypass pain with a spiritual statement -- and dives into the life of the Apostle Paul. What if God sometimes chooses to give us more than we can handle because He is drawing us to Himself? Scripture Referenced: 1 Corinthians 10:1-15 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Christy begins her next series on Christianese phrases talking about finding God's will for our lives. What if in our attempts to discover God's will we have actually over complicated it all? What if there is no formula? What if God has already told us His will? What if there is no big plan for our lives? Christy breaks down our religious traditions, uses Scripture to remind us of truth, and suggests that God's will can be found in simple ways. Scripture Mentioned: Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 17:7-10 Psalm 37:3-4 Ezekiel 36:26-27

Christy introduces her next series about strange things Christians say and do, by telling the story of the weirdest women's retreat she ever attended. Not only was she given a princess tiara and told to ask God for a new name, there were men with large swords positioned strategically around the back of the room during every session. Fortunately her roommates were also not buying into the madness. Despite everything, the Holy Spirit was able to use the time away to encourage Christy during a difficult season of life.

Christy discusses Holy Saturday as she encourages her listeners to embrace the spiritual discipline of lament. Lament draws us into God's Presence even as we feel the deep pain of grief and loss, even as our hearts break over the brokenness in the world. In lament we feel every bit of our emotion, but we feel before our Heavenly Father as we choose to trust in His goodness and love. Link to sign up for Christy's monthly newsletter called #Rethink: https://christylynnewood.com/rethink-newsletter/

Christy concludes her mini-series on the Unexpected God with a look at the last Passover Jesus celebrated with His disciples. Jesus did not fit the Jews' idea of the Messiah even though the entire Passover meal pointed to Him. Where as humans seek for money, power, and fame, Jesus sought humility, obscurity, poverty, and servanthood. He was not who we expected God to be. But because of Jesus life, death, and resurrection, a new Way has opened, a new Kingdom is at hand, and Restoration has begun! Scripture Referenced: Matthew 26:17-25 Mark 14:12-16 Luke 22:7-13

Christy continues the journey through Jesus' last week on earth by exploring the story of Mary anointing Jesus. She looks at two prominent characters in the story: Mary who sits at Jesus' feet, and Judas who would betray Him. Christy contemplates the way Jesus accepted and loved them both. Scripture Referenced: Matthew 26:6-13 Mark 14:3-9 John 12:1-8

Christy begins a series exploring some of Jesus' last days on earth. He was not the Messiah anyone expected, and He certainly didn't line up with the religious Jews' view of God. In this first episode Christy tells the story of Jesus cleansing the temple and driving out the people selling animals and exchanging money. She gives some background to the story and then makes connections between the religious system we deal with today. Scripture Referenced: Matthew 21:12-17

Christy finishes her series on things that keep us from God by talking about unbelief. She knows that this is a complicated topic and something that has been used to spiritually abuse people. But Christy also knows that without faith it is impossible to truly know God. She shares from her own life, from Scripture, and contemplates the church culture at large. Scripture Referenced: John 3:17-18 Hebrews 11:6 Jeremiah 29:12-14

The religious Jews thought God was their father. But they argued with God in front of them and wanted to kill Jesus when he challenged their firmly held beliefs. What if we are more like the religious Jews than we are willing to admit? Christy continues talking about the things that keep us from God this time admitting her own prideful, religious heart. Thanks to some painful church hurt, Christy was broken and humbled to a place where she was willing to listen and learn from others. It is her sincere desire that Church People everywhere will also lay aside their pride and certainty to humbly seek the Real Jesus. Related Resources: If you have questions about how to love the LGBTQI community, this is a great place to start! https://lauriekrieg.com/ Scripture Mentioned: John 8

Over the next few weeks Christy explores things that keep us stuck in religion rather than moving into a relationship with the Real God. Today's topic is fear. Christy contemplates the way the religious Jews missed Jesus while comparing the Jews to modern American Christians. She wonders if we have also created our own version of God in a way that would make us just as threatened if the Real Jesus showed up. Christy admits that until a few years ago, she was also unknowingly missing Him, stuck in a religious mindset and judging others, while claiming to know Jesus and pointing others to Him. Scripture Referenced: John 8 2 Timothy 1:7 1 John 4:18

Christy tackles the problem of evil. If God is real and good and powerful, then why is there so much evil in the world? This is a good and valid question that must be addressed. Rather than give pat Christianese answers, Christy reminds her listeners of a few important points. She encourages them to wrestle for themselves, reading Scripture, taking the time for the hard questions, and seeking the Real God. Article Mentioned: A Look at the Problem of Evil https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1969/september-26/look-at-problem-of-evil.html

Christy honestly shares her heart as she compares the religious leaders of Jesus' day to our Modern American version of the Evangelical Church. Christy encourages her listeners to rethink, wonder, question, doubt, and more than anything look for the Real God. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for being more attached to the tradition of men than the commandment of God. Christy seems a troubling similarity to what is happening today. Scripture referenced: Mark 7:8 Mark 12 Matthew 22

Christy finishes her series on the American Evangelical Church by asking the question why. Why do we seem to come back to this place of religious behaviors? What are we really looking for? Acknowledging that everyone is attempting to fix a broken world no matter which side of any issue they are on, Christy points her listeners back to Eden. People feel the brokenness because the world is broken. We try to fix the problems through things like politics, religion, social justice, and climate change. But we will never be able to create the Utopia we long for by ourselves. Restoration only comes through Jesus Christ.

Christy continues to explore the problems within American Evangelical Christianity by discussing the Pharisees and Sadducees. If the Real Jesus was physically here on Earth today, would we miss Him? Would we be uncomfortable or irritated by Him? Maybe even furious like the religious leaders were? Or like the curious crowds would we be seeking to touch Him and experience His power? Would the truth surprise us? As we deconstruct and reconstruct our faith, Christy encourages her listeners to avoid sides, lean into their own brokenness, and find the God who spent His time with outcasts and sinners. Scripture Referenced: Luke 6

Christy continues comparing her time with Bill Gothard's Christian cult to the problems within broader American Evangelical Christianity. She looks at how people got sucked into Gothard's teachings and suggests there are three things that make us the most susceptible to false teaching: when we are afraid, when we are ignorant, and when we are isolated. Related Link for Recovering Grace: A Bill Gothard Generation Shines a Light on the Teachings of IBLP and ATI https://www.recoveringgrace.org/

Christy continues to dive into the connections between the Christian Cult she grew up in and the mess we see in American Evangelical Christianity today. As she asks the question, "How?" Christy explores various false ideas that many of us think are Biblical. She tackles Christian Nationalism, what it means to be in the world but not of it, and the seven mountain mandate.

As Christy continues to ask hard questions regarding Evangelical Christianity and the culture it has created, she looks into the 7 Basic Principles promoted by her Christian cult. What happens when our beliefs are almost true? When they sound biblical but miss the mark? Christy talks about teaching children at the Basic Seminar despite her own doubts and confusion. She looks into the ways we long to find security through formulas and religion. There is a reason we keep falling for the same Impostor Jesus and the reason is within our own broken hearts.

Christy begins Season Six of Looking for the Real God with a dive into the evangelical cult she was a part of for almost a decade. She remembers her first experience being one of thousands of young people dressed in navy and white, and ponders a history that was both positive and negative. Christy remembers how angry she was then the Duggar family first burst on the scene, and wonders why Evangelical Christianity seems to wind up in the middle of every spiritual controversy. This season Christy will be asking hard and uncomfortable questions, sharing more of her cultic experiences, and digging into the motivations we have as people. Why are we continually drawn to ridged systems? And why are those systems doomed to fail?

Christy finishes her series on rethinking Christmas with a reminder of who Jesus came to be: not just a baby in a manger, but a Savior on a cross. God's wrath, justice, and punishment for sin might not seem like Christmas messages, but Jesus came for one reason -- to die. Unless we remember that, we will always be missing the real magic of Christmas. A God who loved us enough to become one of us, live among us, and take the punishment that we deserved upon Himself. In Jesus God's wrath and love collided. Someone had to die, so God chose that person to be Himself.

As Christy continues to Rethink Christmas, she reminds her listeners that Jesus is God with Us. His entire life was a picture for us of who God really is rather than who we expect him to be. Instead of seeking power and fame and a position of authority, Jesus came quietly, humbly, and without fanfare. As we look at the mess of our modern evangelical church, it's easy to be discouraged. But Christy reminds her listeners that the same God who lived among us isn't finished yet.

Christy continues her season on Rethinking Christmas by looking at all the extra details and traditions that we have added to the Christmas story over the years that aren't actually in the Scriptures. She wonders if maybe we feel disillusioned with the season and struggle to find the meaning of Christmas because we have lost sight of the reality. Jesus came humbly even in His birth to serve and not to be served, to reach the poor and lowly, and to call all people to Himself. This is the magic of Christmas.

Christy continues her series on rethinking Christmas with a look back at the Jewish history and culture at the time of Jesus' birth. We often miss the anticipation of the Messiah as modern Western believers. We also miss the history of exile and occupation the Jews faced. The time when Jesus was born was messy and complicated, not unlike our own current experience. And yet Jesus did not come to build an earthly kingdom but to restore humanity to their Creator. Using history and prophecy, Christy encourages her listeners to settle into their own time in space knowing that God is in control. Scripture referenced: Genesis 49:10 2 Samuel 7:12-13 Psalm 8:5-6 Jeremiah 29:10-14 John 1:4, 9-13 Isaiah 9:1-2 Isaiah 53:1-6

Christy begins her series on Rethinking Christmas with a look at our modern messy church. She talks about The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast and the way it is exposing the junk that is going on in many churches. Christy contemplates the way people seem to divide into two camps: one that holds onto all of the Christianese traditions and beliefs and one that rejects anything not lining up with human reasoning. As always, Christy encourages her listeners to look for the Middle Way of grace and truth. Christy jumps from our current church culture into the religious culture in the time when Jesus was born. She compares us to the Pharisees and Sadducees and reminds everyone that Jesus was found by the humble and broken from His birth until His death.

Christy shares stories from her past that connect with her current experience as a 5th grade teacher. It's fun to watch things come full circle as she reconnects with an old version of herself from almost twenty years ago. God has made us unique as individuals and we each have passions and gifts that makes us come alive. Christy shares from her own experiences and encourages her listeners to pursue those things that put them "in their element."

Christy contemplates the longings of our hearts, how we try to meet them by ourselves but fail, and the ways those longings point us to our Creator. Religion will never satisfy, good behaviors will fall short, and formulas promising wealth, health, blessings, and success will fail. But the Real God isn't waiting for us to DO anything except turn to Him and seek Him. And in Him we will find that those deep desires of our hearts are met.

Christy shares some thoughts from her recent Scripture readings in Ezekiel. As she read about the future temple that will be built during the Millennium, Christy began to think back to the way God started out in Eden separating Himself from His creation because of Adam and Eve's sin of disobedience. But despite that separation, God continued to pursue people: Abraham, Moses, the Nation of Israel. He provided the tabernacle and then the temple with a system of worship that created a path for forgiveness. God continued to move closer to His creation. Christy explores Jesus -- Emanuel: God with us -- and the way He drew even closer. After Jesus returned to heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell all believers in Jesus Christ. God is even closer than ever!

Christy jumps back into the topic of deconstruction. This week she explores what might be behind the purity culture and narrow gender role ideas that have become so mainstream. What if in our desire to fix the broken world we live in, we become fixated on rules instead of a relationship with the only One who can save us? Purity culture, gender roles, and spiritual abuse seem to be the hottest topics among deconstruction conversations lately. Christy reminds her listeners that the Holy Spirit is up to something as He restores and reforms His church.

Christy takes a break from her series on deconstruction and reconstruction of our faith to voice some heartfelt thoughts about her real life. She shares her disillusionment with social media and the Christian celebrity culture. Pursuing a book contract is something that Christy thought she wanted until she realized the pressure of platform building and sustaining was not mentally or emotionally healthy. Christy has gone back to teaching this year and as a result has significantly less time available for social media. She has discovered that she is better off without it. Christy encourages her listeners to embrace their real lives even if they aren't glamorous or Instagram worthy.

If we are only basing our faith deconstruction and reconstruction on human reasoning then we will miss out on the Real God. God is bigger than our understanding and more than we can comprehend. If we are going to find Him, we need to humble ourselves and realize that we might be wrong about Who He is. As Christy has stated before, we don't get to decide who Gog is, we just get to discover Him. God is not changed by our beliefs, or minimized by our doubts. He is who He is whether we like it or not. Christy encourages her listeners to seek and find a God who is only more than our wildest imaginations but who will completely satisfy every desire of our hearts. Scripture mentioned: Hebrews 11:6; Numbers 21.

Christy continues talking about deconstructing our Christian experiences and beliefs this week by exploring the Bible. What if the Bible we experienced in the Christianese bubble world isn't the Real Bible after all? Exploring things like hermeneutics, translations, and the fact that the Bible is an ancient Eastern book, Christy challenges her listeners to reevaluate what they believe about the Bible before they throw it away completely. Related episodes: Episodes 7, 11-13, 27-29, 53, and 70 App mentioned: Read Scripture The rest of Uncle Jim's story: https://christylynnewood.com/chased-by-grace-a-testimony/

As Christy continues to explore faith deconstruction, she turns her attention to church. Church hurt and spiritual abuse are real, and they are being increasingly exposed. After experiencing this kind of painful brokenness within the church, how do we think about church or choose to participate in church again? Christy acknowledges the pain -- something she shares from personal experience -- and encourages her listeners to reconsider the way they view the Church. What if church has been messed up because we've turned it into something it was never meant to be? What if we've taken a good thing and corrupted it? Christy invites listeners into a paradox where we hold the pain we've experienced in one hand and the love Jesus has for His Bride in the other. She doesn't have all the answers, but Christy wonders if it's possible to restore the truth Church from within.

In the second episode of season five, Christy discusses the option of deconstructing our faith without deconverting from it. There is much to deconstruct in our experiences with legalism, religion, Christian patriarchy, the purity culture, and spiritually abusive situations across the board. Some of the people who talk about deconstruction seem to think that the only option is for everyone who doubts to walk away from Christianity completely. Christy thinks we can do this a different way. Christy suggests to her listeners that it is possible to deconstruct around Jesus Christ -- even with Him -- as we involve the Holy Spirit in the process of tearing down and rebuilding our beliefs.

Christy begins Season Five of Looking for the Real God by exploring the various definitions of faith deconstruction. Deconstruction really just means to take something apart down to it's individual pieces, but because of people's various experiences it tends to mean different things depending on who you talk to. Christy shares a poem/analogy she wrote about a Lego set to explain the definitions of deconstruction and tells her own story. She knows that many people are reevaluating their Christian/church experience right now and wants to provide an option and resource for those who wish to deconstruct without leaving the Christian faith. Resources Mentioned: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/ With This Much Rot, There's No Choice But To Deconstruct article by Karen Swallow Prior: https://religionnews.com/2021/08/04/with-this-much-rot-theres-no-choice-but-to-deconstruct/ Christy's Poem: https://christylynnewood.com/defining-deconstruction/

Christy finished her summer series Stories from Camp with the second half of her love story. This young, totally opposite young man had snuck his way into her heart and she wasn't sure what to do about it. Convinced he was distracting her from Jesus and the campers, Christy was determined to give up her crush. It worked for three days. Having never had a boyfriend Christy had no idea how to be in a relationship with anyone. But Josh wouldn't take no for an answer even when she told him "don't even think about it" three times. So what happened? How did Josh convince her to date and eventually marry him? Listen and find out!

Christy is closing out her summer series, Stories from Camp, with her personal love story. It's amazingly strange and beautiful how God can work in more than one person simultaneously. While Christy was learning how to live in the real world and letting go of her religious and cultic baggage, a troubled teenage boy named Josh was being challenged to surrender his life to Jesus and see what happened. The first two years Christy was at camp, Josh was still a camper up on the high-school camp. They met once. The third year Christy came back to camp she discovered that Josh -- who had just graduated -- had also been hired as a counselor. They reluctantly became casual friends. It wasn't until Christy's fourth year of camp that things started to heat up. How do two people who are so completely opposite become a couple? Listen and find out!

In this third from the last Story from Camp, Christy describes the "rusticness" of her cabins and the little camp she called home for five wonderful growing summers. It wasn't much to look at, but Christy discovered that you really don't need much for a full and fantastic life. She shares stories of some of her most memorable campers. From the wild tale of campers who punished Christy for not letting them keep cups of tree frogs in the cabin, to the more heartbreaking memories of campers who acted out because of abuse and trauma, all of these kiddos impacted Christy's life. Summer camp is a special and beautiful experience!

A huge part of Christy's summers at camp was her relationship with Jesus. She would often escape into the woods to walk the trails and process these new experiences with the Holy Spirit. She also had little hidey spots around camp that she called her cathedrals where she spent time with God. Even though Christy came to summer camp still trapped in religious formulas, a legalistic mindset, and plenty of pride, she also loved Jesus. Working in the middle of this messy mixed bag, the Holy Spirit met Christy where she was and continually drew her into the truth. Christy reminds her listeners that God will always meet us where we are. He reveals Himself differently because He knows our needs and personalities. God works in the middle of our mess and is able to use us even when we don't have it all figured out.

Christy continues to share Stories from Camp with this episode focusing on friendships she made over the years with both boys and girls. These young people had very different backgrounds but they all helped Christy to learn and develop as she discovered what it was like to live in the real world. Some friendships were life-giving, some gave her a new perspective, and some broke her heart a little, but they were all filled with special memories. The impact people can make on our lives in short amounts of time is a beautiful thing.

In today's episode Christy shares some of the relationships that made the most impact on her those first few summers at camp. Coming from a culture where behavior and standards were the focus, Christy was shocked to discover acceptance and grace even when she made mistakes. Her coordinators that first summer and the camp nurse for years afterward were people who loved Christy in ways that demonstrated the true love of God. These people might not have "had it all together" but they were authentic in their understanding of grace, their love for God and their love for people.

Christy tries to explain the wild and wonderful atmosphere of summer camp. A place where you become real and get to know other real people by living together 24/7 in the grit of serving children through heat, rain, lack of sleep, and plenty of sunburn. It's hard to describe, but Christy does her best. When you are encouraged to be crazy, loud, and adventurous -- thanks to skits, songs, and ridiculous costumes -- amazing things happen to your soul. Christy found growth, healing, and her true-self in the midst of pranks, adventures, and more. Here are some more Stories from Camp!

Christy continues her summer series, Stories from Camp, by talking about boys, flirting, kissing, and learning how to appropriately interact with the opposite sex. Growing up in an environment where many boys and girls didn't have relationships until arranged marriages, the whole "how to be friends with boys" thing was very new. Summers at camp allowed Christy the opportunity to learn how to deal with boys, what it looked like to flirt, and how to develop good boundaries. As she shares these sometimes ridiculous and slightly embarrassing stories, Christy encourages her listeners to give their past selves grace.

Christy continues this summer's series Stories from Camp by talking about her total lack of culture or pop culture references that first summer at camp. She had a lot to learn but was able to explore and experiment in a safe place thanks to the great people at camp. From learning to understand slang, listening to Christian Rock, and watching her first PG-13 movie, Christy had a lot of new experiences. As that first summer ended with Christy bought some capris and got a cartilage piercing to remind her of her new-found freedom. Books Referenced: "Changes that Heal" by Dr. Henry Cloud

Christy begins her summer series “Stories from Camp” by describing her love/hate relationship with camp that began as a child. She then describes the way five summers at camp in her early 20s changed her life. Christian summer camp provided a safe place for Christy to go through the developmental stages she missed while being raised in a cult. This summer of 2021 Christy will be diving into memories, telling funny stories, and sharing how the Real God met her at a simple and, ahem, “rustic” little camp.

Christy uses her background in a cultic sub-culture of Christianity to question the popular ideology known as Critical Race Theory. She gives a basic overview of the ideology, raises some red flags from the perspective of a former cult-member, and points listeners back to the truth about this broken world and the broken people in it. Just because something sounds like it could be true doesn't mean it is. All great lies have just enough truth to be believable. When an ideology seems to cause division and chaos even though it promises liberation and freedom it'd definitely time to question it. Podcast Referenced: Freeborn and Liberty https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freeborn-liberty/id1552442669

Christy shares some of her own experiences with patriarchy both from her cult days and from more recent times. She asks questions about the way the church views women. If God created both men and women in His own image than why do so many Christians seem to believe that women are less than men? If the fall is where sin entered the world and part of the curse of sin was that men would rule over women, then why is this considered a good thing? After sharing stories from her life, Christy gives a review of the new book "The Making of Biblical Womanhood" by Beth Allison Barr. What if the common understanding of Biblical womanhood isn't actually Biblical at all? Looking through the lenses of history and culture, Beth Allison Barr systematically takes apart complementarian theology brick by brick. She explores the flaws in our English understanding, reintroduces her readers to historical Christian leaders who were women, and ends her book with a resounding, "Go, be free!"

As Christy wraps up her series asking the question, "How did we get here?" she takes time to ponder the ways we allow ourselves to be motivated by fear. Fear is a huge part of our broken world. Unfortunately people who are looking for power and control know that fear is also a powerful motivator. If you capitalize on people's fears you can get them to do anything you want. Christy explores three ways fear has contributed to the state of our current Christian culture. First fear has kept us from telling the truth. Secondly fear has stopped us from seeking the truth. And finally fear has hindered us from sharing the truth. What would happen if we truly experienced a love that cast out fear? Would we become bold people who followed the example of Jesus Christ -- the God-Man who did nothing out of fear? Scriptures Referenced: I John 4:15-19

In this second to last episode in the How Did We Get Here series Christy shares a story about her daughter's imaginary friend Ellen. If God is just a concept, just an idea, just an imaginary friend, then it doesn't matter what we believe about Him or if our beliefs line up with historical orthodoxy. But if God is REAL real then everything changes. We don't get to create Him with our beliefs or change Him with our objections. He is Who He is whether we like it or not. If God is REAL real then we just get to discover Him. Too often we make God in our own image. We think that He is like us. But we forget that He is nothing like us, we were just created to be a little like Him.