When Christians Hurt You: How to Move Through Pain and Betrayal into Deeper Intimacy with God
About this ebook
You've been betrayed--and it hurts. Your pastor had an affair. A Christian friend revealed what you shared in confidence. A Christian friendship abruptly ended. Your Christian parents filed for divorce. A Christian mentor told you about their secret life. There's nothing like being hurt by someone close to you--especially when they are a Christian. How can you keep going to church when Christians betray you?
As a bestselling author and international speaker, Esther Fleece Allen has shared boardrooms, platforms, stages, and widely publicized ministry events with some of the most recognized Bible teachers in evangelicalism--and she's witnessed personal and professional betrayals over and over.
But Esther has learned that it is possible to feel hope again. It is possible to feel the assurance and joy in the Christian faith that you used to feel.
In When Christians Hurt You, Esther demonstrates that the Bible is filled with examples of how to move beyond pain and betrayal. As Esther walks through biblical stories of betrayal, you will discover:
- You are not alone in your pain, loneliness, shock, and abandonment
- Guidance about how to address the emotions that come with betrayal
- Hope-focused biblical teaching on lament, forgiveness, reconciliation, and moving forward in faith
- Biblical action steps based on the ways Jesus and the disciples moved forward after betrayal
- A renewed sense of trust in God and hope that you can trust others again too
Betrayal is searing, but God hasn't left you without balm for the pain. Betrayal is an invitation to intimacy with Jesus. When Christians Hurt You will equip you to move forward in love and experience hope and joy in your faith again.
About the author
A bestselling author, international speaker, and in-demand millennial expert, Esther Fleece Allen is certainly at the top of the list when it comes to the “who’s who” of this generation. USA Today calls her one of the “New Faces of Evangelicalism,” and CNN named her one of the “Five Women to Watch” in recent years. She was the youngest speaker ever invited to attend the National Day of Prayer Summit and the only woman to speak at the National Conference on Christian Apologetics when it launched. In recent years, she’s also been recognized as: One of Christianity Today's “Top Women You Should Know” in an article highlighting 50 women “most shaping church and culture” One of Outreach magazine’s “Top 30 Young Influencers” One of Catalyst’s “20 Women Leaders Under 40 You Should Know” and one of Catalyst’s “Young Influencers” Esther was previously enlisted by Focus on the Family to pursue her demographic of millennials and to bring them into the ministry constituency during the significant leadership transition of Dr. James Dobson. Very quickly, Esther gained respect and recognition as a leader among her peers. Coined a “millennial czar” by president Jim Daly, Esther shared the speaking stage with Daly at events like the Values Voter Summit and the Conservative Political Action Committee in Washington, DC. In the years since, Esther has continued to blaze a trail for millennials to be heard and respected. No matter what platform or organization she is a part of, she is widely known for building bridges for Christian leaders and organizations that cross generations and denominations. Esther is a graduate of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and has a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Oakland University. She is currently at home learning from her greatest teachers: her husband and children.
