Keeping Church Real When Everything’s Crazy

We’ve all been there. On Sunday morning, you’re preaching about Moses crossing the Red Sea, and half your congregation is checking their social media feeds—trying to hide their phones behind the seat in front of them. (Come on, we all know it happens!) But here’s the thing—God’s not sweating the digital age. He’s still God, whether we’re rocking stone tablets or Apple tablets.

 

When Old School Meets New School

 

The Reality Check

 

Real talk—our grandparents never had to figure out what Jesus would tweet, navigate Instagram theology, or decide whether their small group should meet on Zoom. But guess what? The same God who helped them figure out their stuff is helping us figure out ours.

 

The Struggle Is Real

 

You know what keeps me up at night? Seeing people leave the church because they think God’s not relevant anymore. Spoiler alert: God’s never been irrelevant. Sometimes, we’re just speaking a language nobody understands anymore.

 

Making It Real Without Making It Weird

 

Here’s the deal: Jesus was the master of keeping it real. He didn’t do PowerPoint presentations (shocking, I know), but He did use stories about farming for people who farmed and fishing for people who fished. He met people where they were.

So, what does that look like for us?

 

Time to Get Real

 

• Stop pretending we have all the answers. (Seriously, it’s okay to say “I don’t know, but let’s figure it out together.”)
• Quit acting like questions are bad. (Jesus wasn’t afraid of questions, why should we be?)
• Start having real conversations about real stuff. (Yes, even the uncomfortable stuff)

The Bottom Line

 

If we’re going to reach real people with real problems, we need to keep it real. That doesn’t mean changing the message – it means changing how we deliver it.

 

Here’s What’s Working

 

Think about it like this: if Jesus showed up today, He wouldn’t post perfect Instagram squares with vintage filters. He’d be in the mess with people, probably making TikToks that would blow our minds and telling stories that would make religious folks uncomfortable. (Sound familiar?)

 

Let’s Get Practical

 

Want to keep the church relevant without losing your soul? Try this:

1. Stop trying to be cool. (Seriously, it’s exhausting, and nobody’s buying it)
2. Start being authentic. (People can smell fake from a mile away)
3. Love people where they’re at. (But love them too much to leave them there)

The Game Plan

 

Here’s the bottom line: God’s truth doesn’t need our help to be relevant – it already is. Our job is to get out of the way and let people see it clearly. Sometimes, that means using memes. Sometimes, that means getting real about our mess. Always, it means pointing people to Jesus.

Remember, we’re not trying to make the Bible fit our times – we’re showing people how it already does.

Remember, we're not trying to make the Bible fit our times - we're showing people how it already does. Click To Tweet

So what do you say? Ready to keep it real? Because that’s where the real ministry happens – not in our perfect programs or polished presentations, but in those raw, real moments when people encounter a God who’s been relevant since before relevant was a thing.

So…let’s do this, church.

For real.