What does Tribe teach about distraction?

At Tribe, the teaching on distraction starts with a recognition that it does not always look like laziness or sin. Brian Hunter draws a distinction between two forms that opposition to faithfulness can take. The obvious one is pressure, an unexpected bill, a problem at work, something that presses directly against you. But Brian says opportunity can be just as distracting, and sometimes more dangerous, because nothing about it looks wrong from the outside. He told the story of putting his and Lissa's yes on the table for a commitment to Mongolia, and within days receiving both a promotion and an unsolicited job offer from another church. Neither was bad in itself, but both would have pulled them away from what they had already said yes to.

The deeper teaching is about timing. Brian points out that Amalekite attacks, whether opposition or opportunity, tend to arrive at the exact moment a season of provision or peace is underway. This is not cause for dread, but it is cause for paying attention. Brian says, "The devil has no problem with you being moral. What he can't stand is surrender and obedience to Jesus Christ." That reframes distraction as something aimed not at your behavior but at your direction, at pulling you away from what you have said yes to.

In a separate conversation led by Lissa Hunter and Amanda, the same theme surfaces around worship itself. Lissa was direct that even leading from the stage requires intentionally removing distractions and opening your mouth before the feeling arrives. Distraction is treated not as evidence that something is wrong with you, but as a normal condition that requires a deliberate choice to move through. The practical suggestion that came out of that conversation was simply to write things down during a service, because the Lord may put something specific on your heart and the ordinary business of the afternoon will crowd it out before you act on it.

Taught from John 16:33 · Philippians 4:6-8 · James 1:22-25 · 1 John 4:4