Wounded Saints

This message confronts one of the most painful yet rarely discussed realities in Christian life: being wounded by those within the church community. Drawing from Psalm 55, we encounter David's raw expression of pain—not from enemies, but from companions who walked with him to the house of God. The series explores how church hurt manifests through spiritual abuse, manipulation, betrayal, and broken trust from both leaders and fellow believers. What makes this wound particularly devastating is the violation of sacred space—the very place meant to be our refuge becomes the source of our pain. We see this pattern throughout Scripture: David experienced it from Saul's jealous attacks, from Absalom's betrayal, and from Shimei's public humiliation. Paul felt it when Demas abandoned him. Even Jesus faced rejection in His hometown synagogue and betrayal from Judas with a kiss. Yet the message doesn't leave us in our wounds. It calls us toward acknowledgment—the courageous first step toward healing. We cannot heal what we refuse to acknowledge. Our pain is legitimate, and God is big enough to handle our tears, our anger, and our confusion. The path forward requires us to feel the hurt honestly rather than spiritually bypassing it with forced forgiveness, while simultaneously refusing to carry our wounds indefinitely. This is an invitation to begin the healing journey, recognizing that God's faithfulness meets us in our most vulnerable moments of church-inflicted pain.