We invite you to tell us your experiences as the church.

We are looking for any and all of the following:

Stories of Failure (2 Corinthians 13v5-6)

To fail is to not stand the test.  As believers, we know that in regards to our eternal salvation, our failure has been permanently remedied by Jesus’ victory.  We, too, will be victorious because of our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.  But, in regards to how we steward our lives during this age, failure is certainly a possibility.  To fail is to entirely reject or avoid accomplishing the will of God in a particular area.  Failure is void of any true effort or attempt and results in a lack of any spiritual fruit. When your church experiences failure in regards to any part of the ecclesial minimum, your willingness to be honest with other churches is such a gift!

Stories of Frustration (1 Corinthians 9v24-27)

Frustration is a state in which a church is genuinely exerting effort, but seemingly making no progress (sometimes even making things worse).  Sometimes, when we turn over a rock for the first time in a while, all kinds of stuff comes out from under it.  It may feel for a moment like the better decision would have been to stay back in a state of failure; leaving this area alone.  But in reality, you are experiencing something that many Christians in the early church experienced.  Christ, himself, seemed to feel as if his disciples were not where they should be in understanding (Matthew 15v16), as did the author of Hebrews (Hebrews 5v12).  In each of these cases, people were doing something, they just weren’t doing the right thing…yet.  This is a state of frustration.

Stories of Battle (1 Corinthians 11v23-12v10)

Much of our life of following Jesus will spent in battles.  Jesus himself found himself in the midst of a battle between two kingdoms (Matthew 12).  Battles are areas in which we are exerting strategic effort, but are in the midst of persevering until God deems it time to grant victory.  Paul battled in many areas for most of his life.  Battles can be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual and may rage on for decades.  As long as you are with God, battle should not be viewed as negative.  There are, however, a few reasons you may get stuck needlessly in a battle.

Stories of Breakthrough (1 Corinthians 6v9-11)

To experience breakthrough is to walk in victory within a specific area of life.  Breakthrough is founded upon past failures, frustrations and battles.  Breakthrough within every area of our lives isn’t a guarantee until the kingdom fully arrives.  Breakthrough doesn’t mean that the memory of the past struggle won’t rear it’s head…but when you live in state of breakthrough, the schemes of the enemy have little to no significant effect on you.

We welcome your stories and we invite you to share them below.