Think of a person you know with high influence who has exemplified humility and used their power for good. Share about him or her. Eric shared, “For many, they’ve seen, often from personal experience, hypocrisy and abuse from religious leaders, and it seems to them that religion is really a smokescreen for exerting power and control.” Do you have a personal experience that validates what Eric said? Sadly, even leaders in the Bible have used their influence and power for selfish gain. Besides the story of David and Bathsheeba, can you think of other biblical leaders who have abused their leadership for personal gain? The Church is messy and will never be perfect—and it is hard to navigate those two tensions. What has been your experience in trying to navigate belonging to a messy church that will never be perfect? How do you handle decisions from church leadership that you do not agree with? Eric shared that Jesus was an incredibly polarizing figure. He pushed many people away and he pulled many toward him. As you reflect on your own personal walk with Jesus, what is one thing that pushed you away from Jesus, and what is something that ultimately pulled you toward him? Someone once said, “The only way to heal from church hurt is to be healed by the church.” Do you find this to be true? What other methods or means, if any, outside of Christianity could aid in healing from church hurt?