Dealing with Church Factions That Rise Up

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.

It’s hard to be meek when factions rise up within a church.  We get wrapped up in factions.


FACTIONS - When there is a pile-up of disgruntled people who build up a case that becomes a driving fantasy.  Driven by the “What If?”


Factions live their lives on something that has not happened.  It takes great skill to deal with factions, this is why we have Therapists!  Sometimes we can’t get resolution, just accept it.

  • Give up the right to be treated right.


Anger is secondary to a Hurt.  Body is so hyped that it FEELS helpless, resentment, fear and anxiety.  This is Paranoia.

When there is trauma, the body becomes hypersensitive – Your body wants OUT of this!  You move from prudence to paranoia.


People will try to FOG you: Fear, Obligation, and Guilt.  You can’t drive forward when your windshield is fogged up!  If I can get you to feel one of these three feelings,  I can control and manipulate you.


Ex: Small children and parents

Students and substitute teachers

Elderly parents and adult children

Politicians and the public


To avoid being manipulated, practice DeFogging – Clarity is kindness.  “Now it’s clear.  Now I’m free.”

Clarity assigns responsibility so you can forgive.

If you can’t forgive, you’re stuck.

The goal is clarity – Learn to accept real expectations.  Live with it.  Sometimes you get validation, sometimes not.


Every feeling has a THOUGHT attached to it: “My right to be treated right is violated.”

This leads to Hostility and Harshness - the Law of the Jungle.

MEEKNESS is the opposite of Harshness.

Gentle and kind is not natural.  But it allows God’s supernatural work into your soul.


Philippians 2

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.


Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.



Jesus became MEEK rather than HOSTILE.

You have to give up your right to be treated right.

Rights are things you can’t control because you can’t control the other person.

REPLACE your right to be treated right with God’s Promises!

This leads to God’s power in your life – resurrection of good things out of factions.


Don’t fight for your natural rights and watch God bless through His supernatural economy.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

One Way Missionaries

“The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.” — Henry Martyn, missionary to India and Persia.

There was an era of missionary zeal around the turn of the 19th century that bred a group who became known as One-Way Missionaries. When they departed for the mission field, they packed all of their belongings into a coffin and bought one-way tickets because they knew they’d never return home.

A.W. Milne was one of those missionaries. He felt called to a tribe of headhunters in the New Hebrides. All the other missionaries to this tribe had been martyred, but Milne didn’t shrink back into safe Christianity.

Milne did not fear for his life because he had already died to himself.

His coffin was packed.

He served in the New Hebrides for more than fifty years. The tribe buried him and wrote the following words on his tombstone:

“When he came there was no light. When he left there was no darkness.”

What an incredible inscription of someone’s life.

Imagine what the church would look like today if every single follower of Christ exhausted their lives to reach more people far from God.

How to Quickly Reach People Far From God

I’m not concerned about being criticized for taking risks to reach people far from God.  I’m concerned about not being criticized.

Recently I was invited to teach a breakout session at a conference in Chicago based on my book, Holy Shift.  The topic was so popular among church leaders that we ran out of seats!

I had fun sharing my journey in comedy and ministry, the unique story God is writing at Life Church Michigan, and equipping church leaders in my jam-packed breakout with comedy tools that will help them reach more people far from God.

Because I love church leaders and I want to see you go further, faster, here is the full video as a free resource to your team!

How to Navigate a Break-Up or Betrayal

Back when we launched Life Church in 2013, I gave a message that summer on navigating a break-up or betrayal. I recently stumbled upon my message notes from that Sunday and thought I’d share them here, for what it’s worth!

- Paul and Barnabus part ways in Acts 15:35-38.  If break-up and betrayal could happen to the Gospel All-Stars, it can and will happen to you and me!

 

- Followers of Jesus are not promised rainbows, skittles, and unicorns.  You WILL have troubles and heartaches!

 

- You can't please everyone but you can keep reconciliation as your goal.

 

Step One in a Betrayal or Break-Up: Your REACTION determines your REACH.

 

- Jesus gives very practical instructions in Matthew 18:15-17 on how to deal with people who have hurt you: go to the person quickly, privately, and humbly!

 

- Verse 17 does NOT advocate shunning.  Who Would Jesus Shun?

 

- "But they deserve to be shunned."  Really?  Even if everything you say about this person is true, are you treating them the way Jesus would treat them? If someone is acting like a pagan or tax collector, how would Jesus approach them...?

 

- Jesus always walked TOWARD people, not AWAY!

 

- If someone is taking shots at your children, I'm sorry, but that is demonic.  You are never more like Satan than when you accuse and you are never more like Jesus than when you advocate and forgive!

 

- Ephesians 4:26-27 tells us to deal with our issues TODAY.  Don't allow "little" beefs to get bottled up over time or you will explode like a volcano.

 

Step Two in a Betrayal or Break-Up: Nobody wins when you trash talk.

 

- Have a beef?  Don't blab it on Facebook... go to the person and get it resolved!

 

- If you are a man or woman of God, you do NOT have permission to accuse or slander.

 

- If you are a son or daughter of the Most High, honor and integrity are your shield.  Even if you are accused and innocent, it is not necessary to defend yourself in the public square (I am speaking from EXPERIENCE here!!).

 

- Ephesians 6:12 tells us that if they have flesh and blood, they are NOT our enemy!  The Enemy is the enemy!!

 

Step Three in a Betrayal or Break-Up:

Moving on doesn't mean you've stopped caring; it means you can't change it.

 - Always keep the Welcome Mat out for reconciliation but never for condemnation.