I'm tired of churches who preach self-improvement over, into, under, and around the gospel. I'm tired of 5 "biblical" steps to a better marriage, all beginning with the letter "C". I'm tired of sermon titles like "8 easy steps to being a successful Christian with the first letter of each point spelling a self-help acronym) If you want an acronym for 8 steps to understanding "self-improvement" churches it would be B-U-L-L-S-*-*-T.

Self-improvement teaching in churches is nothing more than exogesis in a modern pop-psychological-Rush Limbaugh world view. The "autonomous knower" already knows what he wants to tell "his" people. So he reads into the scripture "principles" that will help them.

This LAZY pastor is prostituting himself again. Self-help sermons belong in the church as much as that Golden TBN furniture belongs in a bachelor pad. Most bachelor's don't live in Versailles and they don't have the middle name "wolfgang".

I'd say that self-help sermons are about as theologically correct as the "left behind series". Sure they both have their own sections at Barnes and Noble and you hear about them in church, but taking them to their fullest extent leaves you completely and utterly frustrated. Why? Because of focus. Self-Help is primarily about self.

It seems to me that scripture talks a lot about God transforming us. That it's by God's power we change. It's by God's help we become "better". That the junk in our lives is removed only by God and that anything we do to change ourselves is simply in vain. I'll give self-help pastors this... we are all messed up. We're all drowning with land in sight. I just wish we'd focus our effort in a different direction.

How about this? Instead of spending inordinate amounts of money on Dr. Phil books or the latest Oprah mag. How about shutting-up, getting alone, being still and listening to the only one who can make a difference in our lives. If you find yourself at a church where they preach "self-help"... get out and find someone who's really interested in you. Someone who's interested in getting to know you, and accepts you where you are, and not as you should be.

Self-help pastors only care about what you can do for them. Most likely because they can't help themselves and they are stuck just like you. Anyone read Matthew 23 recently? Of course... I could be wrong.

Mark Riddle is a pastor from Tulsa, Oklahoma and the Co-founder of Liquid Thinking, Inc. He is the husband of Pam and the father of "2 kids."