Dr Chala Baker

A mist in the pulpit becomes a fog in the pews.

Do you believe that God still speaks?

I do. Yet, I also know that we have to be careful when we confidently say, "God told me...."
We are far more capable of mishearing than we like to admit.

Sometimes what we call “God said” is actually our emotions, or preferences, our wounds trying to feel justified, or our desire to make a decision feel unquestionable. People can use that phrase to be manipulative, or even to harm us. 1 John 4:1 tells us to test these spirits to see if they are from God.

There is responsibility on both the deliverer of the message and the receiver of the message.

If it’s truly from God, it will always align with Scripture. It will always reflect the character of God. In addition, it will produce fruit, and withstand wise counsel. Make sure your identity is in check and rooted in Christ before you give words on His behalf, so your pain and experiences don't mar them.

How do we know if we're hearing from God? Position yourself to know His voice through talking with Him continously (1 Thess. 5:17) and knowing His word.

Have you ever been given an accurate word from God from someone? How does God speak to you? (He speaks to me best and most often through writing, because I'm an avid reader/writer.)
I'd love to hear about it!

Hey! You should come join my Skool community! Especially if you've ever wanted to know more about how to study the Bible! We're going to learn to study the Bible like a theologian or biblical exegete! You'll be ready to lead that Bible study, become a leader in your church, or maybe just look forward to studying Scripture more!

Heavy discounts as I get the community going and add courses. 7 day free trial and then only $1 a month for the first 500 community members!

We're learning about the Word! Let's gooooo!

Misfit Theologians Teaching believers to study the Bible with depth, context, and all the tools theologians use.

Not all deconstruction is rebellion. Sometimes, it's obedience.

Questions about our faith are not compromise. Doubting is not automatically dangerous--its human. And wrestling isn't weakness. Although we tend to label questions, doubt, and wrestling, Scripture does not.

Psalms is full of disoriented prayers in which the psalmist cries out, “How long, O Lord?”
Job spends chapters in pain and demanding answers from God.
Jacob wrestled physcially with God, not just mentally or emotionally.
Even Thomas refused to believe until he saw, and Jesus met him there, not with rejection, but with invitation.

Deconstruction, at its core, is the tearing down of what is false, assumed, or inherited without understanding. And sometimes what’s being dismantled isn’t faith. Instead it's:

Bad theology.
Performative Christianity.
Cultural expectations we confused with the voice of God.

Some of these things need to come down, which means the problem isn't deconstruction, it's what happens after.

If you tear everything down and walk away, you’ve abandoned the process halfway through. But if you and put in the hard work to rebuild on truth, on Scripture, and on the actual person of Jesus, you have the opportunity to come back with an even stronger and better understanding of your faith.

You’re refining it. We all need refining from time to time.

Rebellion runs from God. Honest deconstruction runs toward Him, limping, questioning, and messy.

So no, not everyone who is deconstructing is walking away from Jesus.
Some are finally meeting Him without all the noise and building a faith that is stronger.

Wishing you all God's love and smiles!

I'm praising God for restored relationships today! Don't discount the work He can do in this area!