Why is being a Christian so confusing? | 3 Steps to Simple Salvation!

Are you a Christian who feels like Christianity is too confusing?

Truuuuuuuuust me, you're not alone in this - most people just won't admit it!

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Summary

In this video, I'll share with you three ways to make Christianity less complicated, confusing, chaotic, and combative.

I talk about the conflicting perspectives and ideas about God and Christianity that can lead to confusion and doubt. I'll break down the importance of listening less to other people's preaching and finding clarity and confidence in one's own faith.

I'll also encourage you with some surprise techniques to help you simplify your salvation and experience a deeper connection with God.

As the old saying goes, less is more; it's true in Christianity too!

Takeaways

Learn to focus on and fortify (your) relationship with God
Stop doing so many things that drain you and start prioritize what truly gives you life
Begin to appreciate (your) unique gifts and interests as a way to glorify and serve God

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The Complications of Christianity
05:23 Chapter 1: The Story of the Blind Man
18:59 Chapter 2: Less Listening to Other People's Preaching
25:14 Chapter 3: Less Engagement with Christian Activity
31:18 Chapter 4: Less Denial of Things That Give You Life
39:54 Conclusion: Embracing a Simplified Christianity

#christainpodcast #christianinspiration #inspirational #iamthepossible #god

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Transcript

Treveal C.W. Lynch (00:01.398)
Hey, what's going on guys? Travail C.W. Lynch, Mr. What What, and I am your self-worth specialist. Welcome once again into the I Am The Possible universe. Guys, today we are talking about three ways to make Christianity less complicated, less confusing, less chaotic, and less combative. I don't know about you, man, but it's like, yo, man, everywhere I turn.

on the internet, conversations with people at church. There are so many conflicting.

confusing perspectives, philosophies, ideas about God, about Christianity, about our faith, about how we do this thing. And if you're someone out there today where you just feel like, yo, I'm about ready to give up because I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can walk this straight and narrow. I don't know if I can make it through that narrow gate. You feel me? Like, I don't know.

if I can do all the right things. I don't know if I can get this thing right because I listen to this person and they say do it like this and then I listen to that person and they say it's gotta be done like this and I'm reading my scriptures, I'm reading the Bible and it's like yo, I'm a little confused here. I don't know how to walk this thing out. I don't know how to surrender my life to God. I don't know how to walk by faith. I don't know how to be blameless in God's eyes. Like all of these questions that we're having.

within our hearts are now starting to spill over like never before on the internet, on YouTube, in social media, in conversations within the church where people have gotten to the point where we are very combative, we're very critical, judgmental of not only ourselves and our own faith, but then we point the finger at others and we judge others. And it's just gotten to a point, man, where I just feel like God is...

Treveal C.W. Lynch (02:06.094)
put it on my heart to be a part of the solution in making Christianity simple, right? It can be simple if we want it to. We only complicate things if we desire to. And sometimes we unknowingly desire to make something complicated, because if it's complicated, then it kind of gives us an excuse to either not do something or to avoid it or to like, you know, like, you know, push it away.

But some of us are not trying to avoid anything. We just have a sincere heart and we're trying our best But we're confused We're like this is complicated. In fact, this is too complicated. I don't know if I can do this So if you find yourself in that space today, that's what we're talking about if you find yourself confused and Just just like yo, man. I don't know This this thing is just it's just too much

then I want to be of service to you today. I want to be an encouragement. I want to be an inspiration, but I also want to be a teacher and to provide you some information that I think might help you to, again, simplify this thing. Simplify your faith, not be so confused. And by doing so, then the result will be for you. This is the payoff of watching this video. You're gonna walk away more clear and you're gonna walk away more confident, okay? So if you're looking for clarity and confidence,

You wanna add those things to your life and you want to subtract from your life, confusion, chaos, competition, combative conversations, right? Complications in general. If you wanna get away from that kind of Christianity and you wanna embrace a Christianity that is more clear and that is more confident.

then you're in the right place. All right, one more thing before I jump into this. If this is your first time rocking with me in the I Am The Possible universe, listen man, hit that subscription button, subscribe to the channel so that you can stay plugged in throughout the week as I'm dropping new episodes. Also, you can head over to iamt if you're not linked up to the podcast. I would love to have you.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (04:30.454)
listening there as well. I got some amazing guests coming up this year, some phenomenal information coming out this year, as well as the information that I believe God's given me to also share as well. I'm getting used to that plug, man, getting used to sharing all of those different things. I don't usually do all of that, but I do see that it's beneficial to getting the word out, and I do feel that more and more people need to hear some of the things that God's put on my heart, as well as the things that my guests have to share, so.

Stay plugged in, I am the possible podcast.com. Go over there and get hooked up for the podcast as well. All right, so let's jump into this, man. I wanna come from John chapter nine. Now, I won't read the entire passage. You can read it for yourself. John chapter nine, let me just summarize this, right? And this will tie into.

what I really wanna share, those three ways to make Christianity less confusing, okay? Less complicated, less combative, okay? There was a man that Jesus healed. He was a blind man from birth, okay? And Jesus came upon this man, and you know, Jesus healed this man from being blind, and when the man was healed, he went back to those who were familiar with him.

And there were some Pharisees and some family members and some other folks in the area. And they begin to question him. Like, yo, how did you get healed? Who healed you? How did he do it? Yada, yada, right? They just all stuck on the how, how. Now, mind you, the scriptures, they do not share or show that anybody gave kudos to the fact that he was healed.

Mm-hmm. I'm gonna let that one sit on you for a minute. I read the whole thing from top to bottom, the entire chapter nine. Not one time did anybody celebrate the fact that this man was blind and now he can see. They were so stuck, so stuck on, hey, how did this happen and who did it?

Treveal C.W. Lynch (06:48.762)
And, you know, it didn't help. You know, Jesus was real. Jesus was all through our scripture, man. He was, Jesus was a rebel for real. I mean, Jesus was a real one because he did these things on the Sabbath. Like there are multiple accounts where Jesus did some healing. He did some work, right, on the Sabbath, on the day when work wasn't permittable, right, or wasn't permissible. And of course he did it on purpose, right, to like.

show a point and to prove a point. And here is another point being made. So he did it on the Sabbath, right? And so they all caught up on who did it and how did he do it and why did he do it and who does he claim to be? And he did it on the Sabbath so he can't be from God, yada, yada. Now, again, scripture tells us Jesus came and says, yo, I have fulfilled the law. All of that Moses stuff that y'all...

are still trying to uphold, I am that. I am the law, I am the prophets, I am it, right? Receive me, rock with me, and it's a wrap. That's my version of it, right? Again, you can read the scriptures for yourself. I'm just more simple, right? Just get to the point, man, right? So now you got everybody questioning this guy, and so they go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

And they're really homed in on the fact that this was done or the Sabbath law, and they wanna know how it could have possibly been done and who was this person that did it. Again, they're worrying about all of that, but they're not concerned and they're not celebrating the fact that this man was healed, which is the more important part. And as I break down these three ways to make Christianity more

you know, simple and less confusing and complicated, I think that's at the heart of the message. We gotta quit being wrapped up on the stuff that's not so important. We gotta stop being lawmaker, like Christian lawmakers, Christian law upholders. Like we're policing people's Christianity. We're policing people's relationship with God. And here's the worst part, we're policing our own relationship with God based on, and I'll get to that in just a moment,

Treveal C.W. Lynch (09:12.498)
other people's relationships with God. Okay, and I'll show how that all weaves in together. But you got this guy that's been healed, and as the story goes, they bring in the guy's parents, and pretty much the parents are saying, listen man, all I do know is that he was blind since birth, and we know that he can see now, that's pretty dope. But he's old enough, right? Don't come questioning us.

He's old enough to answer for himself. And so they went back to this dude and was like, yo man, you gotta tell us what's going on. How did he do this? And he had already told them how Jesus did it, right? Jesus spits in the mud and makes a mud pie and rubs it on the guy's eyes and tells him go wash off in the pool. But then what I found to be the most amazing part of this scripture was after they had done the initial questioning, then questioning the parents, then going.

back to this dude again. He's like, listen man, I don't know all that technical stuff. I don't know all that what you talking about. Here's what I do know. I was blind and now I see. Like I was blind, dude. I didn't have sight. I was unable to see. And now I can see. Don't y'all, don't.

Come on. He goes on to say, I've already told you how. Are you trying to be his disciples? Like, what's your motive? Like, what's your angle? I've already told you how. But they kept drilling and pushing and pushing and pushing and drilling because they're trying to get him to side with them. They're trying to get this guy who has experienced God to become a lawmaker.

to become another officer Christian. They wanna get him over here because they even went on to say, yo, we are disciples of Moses. We are basically disciples of that law. We still trying to uphold that perfect law. And they missing the point that Jesus said, man, I'm not, I've already completed that. I am that, right? I am your law.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (11:40.118)
Just rock with me and you've already fulfilled it. The law of love, the law of love, you feel me? So this is at the crust of a lot of our problem when it comes to a Christianity that is confusing. We're very caught up in things that don't matter as much, things that are not as critical as my pastor likes to say. They're not heaven or hell issues.

But we're trained in many of our churches, we're trained in many of our Christian circles and cultures. We're trained, right, in our country to be highly critical, to be competitive, and to be very, you know, try to find the right word for it. But basically, we are set up to be people who

Critique other people it's like we're preconditioned to To critique to find and pull holes and things not only in others, but most importantly in ourselves So let me let me let me let me share one more scripture with you before I jump into these three ways man Because I think this is super important and I want to read this one straight from the text man This one is Matthew 11 one of my favorite passages in all of the bi

BLE. This is Matthew 11. And this is why, this is why, your Christianity ain't gotta be so confusing. It ain't gotta be so complicated. It ain't gotta be so combative. Matthew 11. This is Jesus speaking. Come to me. Come to who? Come to Jesus. Come to me. To God. Not saying that going to people are wrong.

Not saying going to the priest is wrong, not saying going to the pastor is wrong, not saying going to your accountability partner is wrong, but if you want what Jesus has, you gotta go to Jesus. I thank God for the many, many men mentors over the last 20 plus years that have come into my life and have helped me to grow and mature as a man of God.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (14:03.362)
taught me the scriptures, taught me how to live a life of integrity and character, but they will never replace Jesus because even at their best, they were doing it in and through the power and the grace of Jesus. So if you want what Jesus got, and I'm about to show you what he got, you gotta go to him. The best mentors point you back to the cross. The best mentors point you back to Jesus.

They may be having some, you know, they may have some things to share just like me. I may have some things to share with you of value, but ultimately my job is to point you back to him. Hey, I got this, and this to share, but please go back to him because he is the way the truth and the life. All right. So check it out. Jesus in verse 28, Matthew 11, come to me all, that's everybody, all you who labor and are heavy laden.

and overburdened, okay? And I will cause you to rest. I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls. Some of you out there today, you need a rest and a refreshment of your very soul.

because you're tired, you're exhausted, you're literally pulling your hair out, and you're emotionally exhausted, you're a wreck, because you're trying to get this thing right, you're trying to figure God out, you're trying to figure out your faith, you're trying to do this thing called living with God, living for God, you're trying your very best, but you've been so...

inundated, you've been so consumed with everything that everyone else is selling and telling that you've never gotten to God. You've never gotten to God. And it's time for you to get to God so that you can get what God has to give you. Does that make sense? Let me continue with this.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (16:30.654)
It says, take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am gentle, meek and humble, lowly in heart. And you will find rest, relief and ease and refreshment and a blessed quiet for your souls. For my yoke is wholesome, it's useful, it's good, not harsh.

hard or sharp or pressing but it's comfortable, gracious and pleasant and my burden is light and easy to be born. It's easy to bear. See if you are living a very stressful, a very complicated, a very confusing, combative Christianity

then you have to ask yourself, where is that coming from? Cause according to scripture, it ain't coming from Jesus. That's what you get when you go to Jesus. A soul that is rested, a soul that is refreshed, a soul that is revived. If your soul ain't refreshed, rested and revived, then what are you submitting your soul to? Who are you submitting your soul to?

What are you consuming? What are you listening to? And who are you listening to? If you want a less confusing Christianity, it's gonna start with these three things that I'm about to give you. And at the end of the day, they're all pointing back to more God and less culture and less input from everybody else.

Alright, here we go. You ready? Number one, let's get to it. I hope you got your pen and pad. Get your pen and pad out, hit pause. Go get your pen and pad. Pen and pad or get your phone and you can take notes in your pad, in your phone, whatever you need. Alright, you ready? Here we go. Number one, and I got my notes too, by the way. I'm right off the notes myself, okay? Just so that I don't waste your time and so that I don't forget my points. Number one, less listening to other people's preaching.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (18:59.342)
Too many voices equal too many rules and requirements. I put preaching in air quotes if you're watching it. If you're listening on the podcast platform, I'm doing air quotes right now, preaching. What I mean by that is, get an image of a soap box. You know how people get on a soap box. So the preaching is just where people are just, I mean, absolutely all in on what they're sharing. That's really what I mean by the preaching. Like they have a conviction.

And not that their conviction is wrong, but normally their conviction is either one of two things, purely their own experience with God, which may not apply to you, or two, their preaching is just a runoff from other preaching that they've heard. So they're just regurgitating. They're saying what they heard someone else say and so on and so forth. But guess what? Neither one of them has much to do with you. It just doesn't.

I know that might not be popular to hear, but most times it just doesn't have anything to do with you. It's not that anything, or it's not that those things cannot inspire, motivate, inform. No, you can actually learn a ton from listening to other people share about God, testify about God, even preach formally, right? From a pulpit about God. What I'm drawing your awareness to is, don't let that become your gospel.

Don't let their experiences become your expectation because God is a father. God is a God who is able to treat you according to his relationship. Or for those of us who, you know, we're not giving God a gender, I get all that. There's a case for that, I get it. But God is relating to you as an individual. And you're different from the person that you're listening to.

God knows you for you and created you unique and whole and special. So why wouldn't he treat you as such? So my point is, is that you can't just take for face value, anything that someone preaches and say, yep, that applies to me. Yep. That applies to me. Unless moved by the spirit, unless you know, you, you got that, you know, like you bear witness to that in your heart, which, which absolutely can. What I'm saying is we've

Treveal C.W. Lynch (21:23.918)
created a culture where we're not even thinking through these things. The famous pastor preaches, and I won't drop no names, but the ones on TBN or wherever, Word channel or these other popular places, and you just watch them or you go to their conferences and they're charismatic and they're energetic and they're influential, right? And that's cool.

but you owe it to yourself to test what you hear. And A, ask is it even lining up with what you're reading and with what you're bearing witness to within your heart? But then two, is that really applicable to me? Or is this just an awesome expression of what God has done in someone else's life? That's my point.

So I say less listening to other people's preaching. In other words, less just automatically taking in. Less just automatically receiving everything someone shares and preaches. And less of it. If you're watching five or six different pastors on TV, or you're listening to five different pastors or some sort of preaching or teaching.

through a podcast platform or whatever. That's five different voices, five different perspectives, five different angles, five different experiences, five different contexts, five different everything, world views, five different dude. That's five different personalities. And you're trying to keep up with all of them? You will run yourself crazy and your Christianity will become confusing.

I hope and pray that makes sense. So let's minimize who we're listening to, let's pray, and let's say, okay, one or two voices I'll listen to on a regular basis, they really align with where God has me and they really speak to my heart. And again, even those two, you still ask the question when they're sharing, what applies to me, what doesn't? What does my soul bear witness to, right?

Treveal C.W. Lynch (23:49.074)
And so you're just learning, you're learning to get less or become less dependent on other people's preaching. And you're using that additional time that you get back to now go into that quiet space with God and to pray quickly with your voice and then learn to be quiet and listen more with your heart to what God is actually saying.

When Jesus says, come to me, he's saying, put down all the work. Let me give you my yoke. Let me give you what I have to give you. Stop doing so much. You don't have to be burdened with all of this extra that all of these other people are instructing you to have to do. Does that make sense? All right. If you're watching on the tube, man, drop a comment below. Let me know.

If this is hidden, let me know. If this is making sense, leave me a comment below. I would love to hear from you. Let me know if any of this is connecting, all right? Number two, less engagement with Christian activity. Again, air quotes, Christian activity. What do I mean by this? No margin, overwhelmed, less effective. There's a book that came out a couple years ago from a doctor, it's called Margin. It's the space between one activity and the next.

and there was all of this scientific research done on how important it is to create margin between this activity and this one. Okay, multitasking does not exist, it's a lie. Okay, your brain just doesn't work that way, okay? So if you are always caught up in more and more Christian activities, oh, well as a Christian, I need to show up on Sunday, right, worship, service, and then I need to go

and I need to be down at the soup kitchen, right? Because my church is down there. And then I gotta be over here to, you know, feed the homeless over here. And then I gotta go down here and be a part of this ministry. And then I gotta run over here and do this because of that ministry. Oh yeah, and you know, because I'm a Christian, I've gotta run over here and do this. And then I gotta run over here and do that. And I can't say no to anybody because if I say no, then I'm not surrendering my life to God. I'm not giving my life to God.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (26:13.578)
And for many of us, that's the crap that we get sucked into very early. It's no fault of the churches, no fault of the people that's inviting you to do these different things. It's a cultural issue where we see or we leverage scriptures that talk about, you know, faith without works is dead. Somebody might, someone may hit you with that when they need for you to do something for them and it will guilt you into giving up.

more time than you actually have. And now, when Jesus was like, come to me, those of you who are burdened and heavy laden, see now you're burdened and now you're heavy laden because you're ripping and running, right? When I grew up, they had a term, right? Running around with your, running around like a chicken with your head cut off, right? And so you're doing that. You just scramble brain, no margin, you're less effective. So now you don't even feel good about the work that you're doing.

and you're always rushing and you're always on the go and at the end of the day, you're caught up in all of these Christian activities, but you don't have any greater conviction or clarity or confidence in yourself as a Christian and your ability to really live out a faith that aligns with you, which actually leads me to my next and my final point.

But many of us are doing these things because we think that we're pleasing God. We think that we're earning God's love and that we're earning God's trust. God loves you before he ever saved you or called you or however you wanna put it. I mean, God was already pleased with you all through our scripture. Jesus gets baptized. This is the son in whom I'm well pleased. Jesus didn't do nothing up to that point. He ain't doing nothing. Why is he so pleased with him? Because it's his son. It's his creation.

And the same is true for you and I. God loves us already. If we do the works that he's called us to do, amen, great. Let the kingdom advance through you, awesome. Good job. But it's not a prerequisite for God's love. His love is unconditional and His love is eternal. It's there. It's always been there, it'll always be there. Okay? So less Christian activities to earn God's love. When you're not running around, ripping and running like that.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (28:37.97)
you are less prone to the confusion. Because when you're ripping and running, you don't have time to really process a lot and think through a lot. And so then when issues hit you, you've been so scrambled brain, you've been so worn out, you've been so all over the place, that now it's hard for you to make a clear quality decision about these issues that pop up in your life. And now you're looking for God to do something immediately. And A, God doesn't work that way, but B, God's equipped you through his spirit.

and through his grace and mercy to handle a lot of those issues, right? Not necessarily on your own, but he's hooked you up to be able to operate effectively in this world. And many times, because we're looking for a quick bailout plan and it doesn't happen the way that we desire God to do it, then we get confused and then we get critical.

of God and of ourselves and of this thing called Christianity because it didn't pan out the way that we wanted it to pan out. The problem wasn't with God, the problem really wasn't even with you. The problem was you're doing too much. So you're not thinking very straight. If you were doing less, you would be in more time with God.

prayer and meditation and observation, contemplation, you'll be able to see things a little differently and more a lot more clearly. You'll have a lot more confidence in your next decision in the next directions that you need to take in life. And so then when these things do come up, you're able to take the appropriate actions because you're able to approach those things with greater clarity, because you're not wore out, you're not stressed out, you're not all tensed up.

because you're not always ripping and running and doing something. When you're ripping and running, and it's the last thing I'll say, that, it wears you out. Like we have to understand that emotions and psychology and the mind and the body, all of this works into our Christianity. It ain't just a spiritual thing. If you are wore out at the end of your rope, pulling your hair out physically, emotionally, like you are exhausted and tired,

Treveal C.W. Lynch (30:48.866)
You're not gonna do Christianity on a high level. You're just not because Christianity is you. You're the Christian, it's you. Your Christianity is as effective as you are, right? So I want you to think of it from that, you know, more holistic approach. And then lastly, less denial, I'm just reading from my notes, less denial of things that give you life.

Less and this is what this means.

Things that give you life, and I learned this from my current mentor, things that give you life are things that give you energy. They feel right. Like when I speak, when I teach, when I podcast, when I communicate, it just feels right. I get life from it. It doesn't drain me. It doesn't beat me down. It inspires me because it is a gift of God.

an anointing of God, a blessing of God, a talent from God to be used to His glory. And when I do it, it's just like fresh breath, man, being blown into me. It's just like I'm alive again, right? It's that thing that you do and you just, you never get enough of it. Well, don't deny those things because many times in the Christian circles,

We have been told, serve here, serve here, do this, do that. And there's not been any assessment, there's not been any deep dive on who you are as an individual, as a person. What are your God-given gifts and talents? What's your natural bins? What do you enjoy? What are your natural organic interests? Because God can be glorified through all of those things, and you can get the job done, you can get the work done for the kingdom of God through all those different things.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (32:49.886)
so isolated to Sunday morning. Ministry is not so isolated to the acts of services that we see in our country. Ministry is anything that you do to the glory of God. Ministry is your nine to five. Ministry is your taking care of your kids. Ministry is your waking up in the morning in your right mind and giving praise to God. Ministry is everything. Ministry is your next breath. There are no boundaries to ministry. We gotta stop this. And again,

if you are in a congregation or Christian circle and you're being forced or intimidated or just really encouraged, maybe it's not that extreme, but they're really encouraging you to do all these different things, but in your heart you're saying, I'm not interested in any of these things. I would rather be doing this over here. Well, you don't need permission to start a ministry. You don't need permission from anybody.

Anybody send them my way if anyone tells you that you need permission to start a ministry send them my way No, there is you don't need man's approval and permission for nothing. Why because ministry is you It is you when you show up on your job. That's ministry when you wake up in the morning That's ministry. You're gonna check in with nobody to do that Right, and your ministry doesn't have to be connected to your local expression. Uh your local church

Your ministry can be on the weekends, your ministry can be in the evenings or in the morning, right? I mean, ministry is everywhere. I do ministry at my gym every morning, just through the high and by, the greeting, the quick discussions with people that I know and the encouraging words and just do ministry is everywhere. So less denial of what actually matters to you. Less denial of what aligns with you.

trying to fit into these Christian boxes, trying to do what everyone else is doing, trying to do what everyone else is telling you that you have to do. No, no, no. You are you. And if it gives you life and you can be creative in how you can do that thing to God's glory and to the advancement of His kingdom and to the edifying of His people, then you're ministering, man.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (35:12.786)
And like we say, and you know, my home church, every person is a minister. That's not a title reserved for the pastors and for the deacons and whatnot. Everybody is a minister because everyone has the love of God dwelling within their hearts. And whenever you open your mouth or whenever you do some kind act, you're loving, you're expressing, you're sharing God with the world. So less denial of you, stop denying you. And here's...

Let me just share my note. You know, when you deny yourself, what it does is, and maybe you can relate to this, it creates an internal conflict. It creates self-doubt. You start to think that God is not able to love you the way you are.

because you're being pressured to do these things that you don't align with and you don't have any interest in, but you do them anyway. So now you're committed to some stuff that you don't even wanna be committed to. And now you either don't have time or you just convince yourself that you shouldn't be doing the things that are really in your heart because those things don't look like ministry. Those things don't look like a calling. They're not very spiritual.

And so you just try to deny them and, you know, sweep them under the rug, so to speak. And all the while, those things keep calling to you, but you keep denying them and you're miserable. And now Christianity has become complicated. It's become confusing, it's become combative. And you're like, yo, I just don't know if I can do this. I'm just not feeling this no more. So, you know, all of these things that I've shared, I've gone through them. All of them.

I've been in that place where I've listened to too many voices, too many preachers, too many books I'm reading, too much input, right? What do you call it? Inundation of information, like information overkill, and trying to keep up with everything, trying to do what all of them say. And it was just too much. I had to learn how to listen less to other people's preaching. Second one, less engagement. That was a huge one.

Treveal C.W. Lynch (37:30.686)
especially coming from my background, I didn't have a lot of self-value and self-worth and I was always rejected, not accepted. I was a person that was always, you know, pushed out and shunned and always bullied and picked on because of the way that I was. And so coming into the church where I found some acceptance that I quickly over killed it. I started to do way too much, right? I was Mr. show up early, leave late.

I'm a part of 15 ministries at once. All of it was great in that God used that experience to make me a much more well-rounded individual. But I think that it was also great because now that I've been delivered from that, I'm able to help other people get delivered from that as well. And then lastly, I denied a lot of myself. A lot of myself because

Oh, I wanna do this, but that looks like sin. Oh, I wanna do this, but that might not be accepted in Christianity. Or I wanna do this, I wanna be this way, but what will they think? That's a big one. What will they think? I remember my first launch on this was when I got ordained and I started to preach from the pulpit. And I thank God for my home church. I thank God that they've

always accepted me as I was and allowed me a platform and allowed me space to just be me. But I didn't preach in a suit. I didn't preach in a button-up. Most times it was a t-shirt, most times it was a hoodie, most times it was some sort of athletic gear because that's what I'm most comfortable in and that's just me.

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But trying to, man, trying to fit into the skin of someone else or trying to fit into the skin of what we think is acceptable is a huge burden. And I hope and pray that some of these things that I've shared with you is helping to lighten that load in your life. But I've gone through them all.

I've gone through them all and so that's why I can speak to them all and I'm confident that there is a other side. There is hope. To where your Christianity does not have to be confusing. It doesn't have to be chaotic. It doesn't have to be complicated. And it doesn't have to be combative. Let's mind our own business. Let's not police one another.

If we got a problem with anything that we see anyone else doing, let us not be as these Pharisees where we're judging and critiquing and all of that. Let us lovingly and genuinely pray for our brothers and sisters and ask that if God sees anything wrong with anything that they're doing, that God would reveal that to them and give them the grace and the courage.

to move on beyond those things and to live the life that God's called them to. And if God does prompt you to speak to a person, then speak to them in love and with as much care and concern as you can possibly muster. Because the last thing anyone needs right now, because so many people are on the tipping point, the last thing anyone needs is someone else or another moment or point of judgment and criticism.

people are looking for love and acceptance. So let us be that way. And most importantly, let us be that way toward ourselves. You feel me? Toward ourselves, guys. All right, so that's it, man. Those are my three ways to make Christianity less confusing, confusing. I hope and pray that they've...

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added value to you. If you know another Christian, another person in their faith that might benefit from this video, please share it out. Share the link. You know how to do things on social media. Let other people know that this video is available to them. All right, time to wrap it up. Until next time. Love you guys. Praying for you guys. I believe in you guys. Let's continue to unlearn our limits, unleash our lives and be what?

is possible. Much love, guys. Much, much love.