Discipleship Archives | Page 3 of 166

10 Reasons You Should NOT Join my Online Discipleship Group

My online discipleship group is for people who know they don’t have all the answers, who want to seek truth, wherever it is found, and who like to be challenged in their Christian beliefs and practices. If that describes you, join us today!

On the other hand, below are 10 reasons why you might not be a good fit for my online discipleship group.

You should NOT join my discipleship group IF …

1. You are pretty sure that all of your theology is correct.

I teach some challenging ideas in my discipleship group, and question some fairly traditional church teachings. This might ruffle your feathers.

If you do not like to have your theology or your understanding of Scripture challenged because you think that everything you believe is already 100% correct, the RedeemingGod.com discipleship group will not be a good fit for you. We value asking the hard questions and enjoy discussing difficult issues.

2. You think that the only right way to do church is the way you do it in your church

Several of the courses that are offered in the RedeemingGod.com discipleship area will challenge the way you think about church and do church. For many people, the way they “do church” is the only right way to do it, and anybody who does things differently is doing it wrong.

If that is how you think, the discipleship area is not for you. Our discipleship group contains many people who faithfully follow Jesus every single day without ever stepping foot inside a church building. I think that’s fantastic, because “being” the church does not require “going” to church.

3. You think it is a sin for men to have long hair.

Ok, this one is a little light-hearted, but you would be surprised to know how often I get emails and private FB messages from people who challenge me on the length of my hair. “How can you claim to be a Christian and teach the Bible to others if you have long hair?” they say. “Don’t you know what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:14?

The answer, of course, is that I am very well aware, but I understand the verse in its original context, and so believe it is not a sin at all for men to have long hair. (Paul doesn’t even say it is a sin, by the way.)

The point is that if my hair length is a sticking point for you, this is an indication that you will also have difficulty with the rest of what we discuss inside the discipleship group, and therefore, it is probably not for you.

4. You are a die-hard Calvinist, Arminian, Pentecostal, Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, non-denominationalist, or “Fill-in-the-Blank.”

I don’t promote any one specific tradition or belief system inside the discipleship group, and try to encourage others to do the same. Rather, we try to learn from each other, and pull the good ideas and practices from all Christian backgrounds and traditions. So if you are firmly part of one particular tradition and want to push and promote it on others, this discipleship group will not be a good fit for you.

Furthermore, if you are fully invested in one of these traditions, it is quite likely that some of what we teach and discuss in the group will challenge some of your beliefs and practices, and if you find this offensive or scary, you are probably better off joining a group that is from your particular tradition or practice so that everybody agrees with you and affirms what you do.

In other words, to be part of our discipleship group, you have to be able to be gracious toward those who disagree, and be willing to learn from others,

5. You believe that there are some questions that are “off limits.”

We ask some hard questions inside the discipleship group. Some people are uncomfortable with asking hard questions because their faith cannot handle the challenge. We ask, for example, whether or not God actually exists, whether or not Genesis 1 teaches 7-day creationism, and whether or not a person can be a Christian and still go sin all they want. We even ask some questions that make you squirm, such as “Is masturbation wrong?” or “What was Jesus’ view about homosexuality?”

If these sorts of questions make you angry or uncomfortable, the discipleship group is not for you.

I believe, however, that truth can stand up to any and all questions, and that since God made us to be inquisitive, creative, rational people, it is our duty and obligation to ask any and every question that comes up. If we are right in what we believe, then asking the questions only strengthens our faith, but if we are wrong, then hopefully we want to know it, and we only discover the truth by asking questions.

If you like to ask questions, the discipleship group is for you.

6. You don’t like to read, study, learn, or think.

My online discipleship group is information heavy. It is mostly focused on reading, listening, and writing. There are online courses, quizzes, and books. You will be asked to study, think, and inquire.

A good rule of thumb is that unless you like to read (or listen to) at least 30 books a year, you probably won’t like my online discipleship group. The discipleship area is focused on text and audio material, and so if you don’t spend much time reading theology books, studying Scripture, or listening to theology podcasts or books on audio, you probably won’t enjoy the discipleship area of this website.

But if you love theology podcasts, listening to sermons on the radio, and reading books about Scripture and theology, then the discipleship area will be great for you. This is especially true if you love having your mind stretched, if you embrace difficult questions, and if you enjoy being introduced to new ideas and different ways of viewing Scripture.

7. You only want to study and learn if you get an accredited degree out of it.

If that’s the case, you should probably just go to a Bible College or Seminary. While much what I teach is at the Bible College or Seminary level, and while my discipleship area is 99.99% cheaper than Bible College or Seminary, you are not going to get an accredited degree out of it.

You will, however, deepen your knowledge of Scripture, grow in your relationship with Jesus, and learn how to love and serve others in a more meaningful way, but you will not be able to put initials before or after your name.

8. You only want Bible study material that is free.

I sometimes get the objection that it is wrong for me to charge for access to my material. When I get this objection from Christians, I always ask them, “Have you ever bought a Christian book? Have you ever paid to attend an Evangelism training seminar? Have you ever wanted to go to Bible College or seminary? Do you tithe to your church?”

You can think of my discipleship area in the same way, except that you also gain a connection to me and other like-minded people around the world. Think of it like buying a book or attending a conference where the author and other attendees are all hanging around to talk with you. Also, while 95% of what I teach and write is available for free in various formats, the discipleship area is how people are able to get my most in-depth teaching in logical format and order.

And just like some people tithe to their church or to some Christian ministry because they believe in what that ministry is doing, there are some people who join my discipleship group because they like the online ministry that I provide around the world. Of course, I am not currently a non-profit organization, and so gifts and membership costs are not tax-deductible, but that should never be the reason you support a ministry anyway.

I do give a lot of material away for free, and even have a free section in my discipleship group, but I work really hard at preparing the books, teachings, and courses that I provide inside the discipleship area. The reason I charge for them is so that I can keep this website up and running and offer the free stuff that I do. Without your support, this website would disappear and I would no longer be able to offer free Bible and Theology training to millions of Christians around the world.

9. You believe that Bible study and theology is always serious and never fun.

I will freely admit that I don’t have the greatest sense of humor. When I was a pastor, I was a terrible joke-teller, so one Sunday an elder gave me a “Laugh” sign and told me to hold it up whenever I told a joke so that the congregation would be prompted to laugh.

Nevertheless, I believe that Bible study and theology should never be boring, and that it is okay to laugh, have fun, and approach Scripture light-heartedly. Sure, it is the most important area of study in the world, but this doesn’t mean we have to approach it with nothing but frowns and furrowed brows. Let’s laugh, smile, joke, and have fun.

10. You get angry and defensive when someone challenges your beliefs, and you start calling them names like “heretic” or “false teacher.”

If you have a habit of calling people heretics and false teachers on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog, this discipleship group is not for you. We do not allow divisive behavior like name-calling and public shaming to occur. It is completely okay to disagree with me or anyone else in the group, but it is not okay to try to “win the argument” through abusive and bullying behavior like name-calling and shaming.

So if you only want to join the discipleship group to push your theological agenda and force everyone to believe the way you do, you might want to look elsewhere.

11. You believe that most Democrats (or Republicans, or Progressives, or Conservatives, or Liberals, or Sots, or Anarchists, or “Fill in the Blank”) are evil.

We are not about politics here. We do believe that theology does guide our politics, and we agree that political views can be discussed as part of the discipleship process, but just as we do not condone or allow name-calling and shaming of other people because they hold different theological views, so also, we do not allow name-calling or shaming of people who hold different political views.

If you hate all people who voted for Trump, or if you hate all people who voted for Hillary, this group is not for you, because we have people in the group who did both.

12. You get a thrill out of pointing out where people are wrong.

If you saw point #11 above, and said, “Hey, Jeremy’s a liar. He said there was only 10, and this is number 11! And now he’s moved on to #12!” then maybe the discipleship group is not for you.

Look, I appreciate it when people point out my typos (If you find any in anything you read of mine, please let me know!), and I love a good debate about theology and how to understand Scripture. So if you love these things too, then you will be a good fit for the discipleship group.

If, however, your goal in everything you read or hear is to find the one area in which you disagree just so you can point out to someone where they are wrong, well, you might not be a good fit for the discipleship group.

Still Reading? Please Join Us!

We are a diverse group of people from diverse backgrounds with diverse beliefs. We focus on the core essential elements of following Jesus, and leave room for disagreement and friendly debate. If that sounds good to you, please join us!

The information page about the various discipleship levels contains more information, as well as numerous testimonials from people who are already in the group. Visit that page to read what they have to say, learn more about what is available to you, and join us today. See you on the inside!

If you read through this entire list and are thinking, “Wow, this actually sounds like a place I want to be part of! I would love to learn in this sort of setting!” then register today and start learning along with the rest of us! Go here to learn more and choose which Discipleship level is right for you.

I’m Dreaming of a Politically-Correct Holiday

By Jeremy Myers
9 Comments

If you are tired of trying to be politically correct around Christmas, then listen to this song. You will laugh. (I wish they had made a music video out of this song, but this is only “video” of the song I could find.)

Click play on the following video, then sit back and laugh at the absurdity of it all. Sometimes, all you can do is laugh…

The song comes from Brad Paisley’s Christmas album.

Oh … and Merry Christmas!

Does a Muslim need to become a Christian in order to follow Jesus?

By Jeremy Myers
54 Comments

This is a guest post by Jim Baton. Jim is an author and peacemaker between Christians and Muslims. Learn more at www.jimbaton.com

Note from Jeremy Myers: If you would like to write a Guest Post for RedeemingGod, begin by reading the Guest Blogger Guidelines.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but a book with a poorly arranged or offensive cover rarely tempts you to pick it up and look inside. On the other hand, packaging that’s attractive to you can move you to take a closer look.

A few years ago a young Muslim woman came to us in great need. She had encountered Jesus through a dream and a dramatic healing, loved him whole-heartedly, and loved reading the Bible. But her family reacted as though she was betraying them and was hunting for her to kill her!

At first I thought her biggest issue would be the rejection of her family. I was surprised when she said that she came to us to learn how to tell her family about Jesus in a way they could understand. And the deepest struggle in her life was actually that she felt like a fish out of water in the church!

My family had lived for many years in a Muslim nation and understood this complex social dynamic well. The young woman had left a community where religion and extended family were a part of every aspect of her life. Losing that sense of community created a profound loneliness. She knew no one she could share this faith-journey with who was from her own language and culture.

Meanwhile, she’d been accepted into a local Christian community of a different ethnicity, language and culture, that encouraged her to dress differently (remove her head covering), eat differently (try some pork!), pray differently (fold your hands), change all her holidays (dropping Idul Fitri for Christmas), and so on.

She never felt like she belonged. She never felt like she could be herself.

Then we told her something that brought life back into her eyes. She told us this was the best news that she’d ever heard.

We told her she didn’t have to become a Christian to follow Jesus.

What did we mean by that? We meant that she didn’t need to join a local church, change her habits and holidays, or start identifying herself by the religion of “Christian.” She had already received the Gospel—she’d received Jesus. He is the Good News, and he doesn’t require us to accept him with unwanted, even offensive, packaging.

What would be better, we told her, was if she would bring Jesus into her world of head coverings and kosher food and Idul Fitri celebrations, and into her family.

Jesus experienced a similar encounter in John 4 when he met the Samaritan woman at the well. The religious culture of his day dictated that there should be a firm wall between Jews and Samaritans, between men and women, between the righteous and the sinner. Jesus didn’t call out to her from his side of the wall for her to change before she could approach him. He crossed over to her side of the wall.

When she brought up the theological wall that should separate them (the proper place of worship), Jesus emphasized that what God was really looking for was worship that came from the inside—“worship in spirit and in truth.” The word “spirit” is the same word for “breath”; the word for “truth” is where we get the word “reality.” God was looking for those whose very breath called out to him; whose worship was real.

The Samaritan woman got this revelation—she could be a worshipper too, just the way she was! She raced back to tell her village, and brought Jesus home to them. So we have the very first account in history of an entire village believing in Jesus as their Messiah, and they weren’t even Jewish! They were from a different religion! They may have never accepted the truth if Jews had brought it to them in a Jewish package, but Jesus broke through every wall for them. They got the Gospel because they got Jesus.

There are people all around us from different ethnic, cultural and religious (or non-religious) backgrounds who have no interest in our churches or our institutional Christianity. They feel they wouldn’t fit in there. But that doesn’t mean they might not want Jesus. They may need to encounter him freed from our unwanted Christian packaging. It may require us going to where they are instead of waiting for them to come to us.

Today my Muslim friend still covers her head, eats no pork, and celebrates Idul Fitri. She’s also introduced her whole extended family to Jesus, and many have received him as their Messiah too. She’s learned to build friendships with Christians, while being herself, and letting Jesus incarnate once again into her skin.

She got the Gospel—she got Jesus.

What do you think of how we responded to this woman? Should we have told her that to truly follow Jesus, she needs to give up her head coverings, start eating pork, and start celebrating Christmas instead of Idul Fitri? Or was our response in line with the Gospel and the example of Jesus, as we allowed Jesus to truly incarnate Himself and the Gospel in this woman’s life, family, and culture? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Strive for Biblical Living More than Biblical Literacy

By Jeremy Myers
45 Comments

This is the last post in my short series of posts on Biblical illiteracy. Here are the other posts:

As we have seen, there are lots of reports that people are becoming more biblically illiterate.

But I am not convinced that the statistics are true, that we really are becoming more biblically illiterate. It all depends, really, on how a person defines “biblically illiterate,” and I am not convinced that the traditional definitions and tests we use to determine biblical literacy are all that correct. I sort of think that the real problem with biblical illiteracy is how we define and test for biblical illiteracy. For example, I am not sure that knowing Bible facts is the same thing as biblical literacy. From one perspective, it could be argued that people are more biblically literate today than ever before!

I know, of course, that such a statement might be controversial, and so let’s just leave that idea alone for now and agree with the common consensus. Let us concede their claim that people are becoming more and more biblically illiterate. For the sake of argument, let us just assume that this is the case.

I do not see it as a bad thing. I see this as a good thing.

Why?

Because we are finally giving up the illusion that Bible knowledge is the key to living the Christian life.

Frankly, I would love it if more Christians put down their Bibles.

People already know enough. The real issue is that they don’t do enough. They don’t put into practice what they already know.

When pastors and professors bemoan the lack of biblical literacy in the church today, they are telling people that the most important part of the Christian life is knowing more. But it isn’t. The most important part of following Jesus is actually following Jesus into loving and serving others.

Look, the call for biblical literacy is not actually about biblical literacy. These pastors and professors believe that biblical literacy will lead to biblical living. They see people not living very biblically, and not really having a biblical worldview, and so they think that if they can raise the level of biblical literacy, this will raise the level of biblical living as well. But it is not working. There is some question as to whether it ever really did work.

If I had to choose between a Bible expert who could recite large chunks of Scripture from the Greek and Hebrew yet who did not show love toward his neighbor, and someone who barely knew anything about Scripture but who did show love to his neighbor, I will choose the second person every day of the week.

Ideally, it would be nice if everyone was a Bible expert AND they practiced the Bible, but nothing in this life is ideal And in my experience, it seems that Christians often prefer to put off loving other people because they fear they don’t know how, or won’t be able to answer a question properly, or won’t know how to deal with certain objections or issues that often come up. And so, in a good and godly quest to prepare for the act of loving and serving others, they just attend one seminar after another, one training session after another, one class after another, and many of them never get around to actually loving the other person.

What often happens in churches and groups that place a heavy emphasis on biblical literacy is that the goal in the Christian life seems to be little more than the accumulation of Bible facts and theological trivia.

So I am thankful that studies and reports are showing that people are more and more biblically illiterate, because I think it finally raises the question of whether that should have ever been the goal in the first place, and whether or not biblical literacy ever really even “worked” in helping people live biblically.

The goal is biblical living; not biblical literacy.

If we strive for biblical living, we also get biblical literacy. But if we strive for biblical literacy, we end up with neither biblical living nor biblical literacy. We need to stop chasing biblical literacy and start pursuing biblical living.

A lack of biblical literacy is not the problem; a lack of biblical living is. And to live according to the Bible, we might need to stop studying the Bible. Living out the Bible begins by getting our noses out of the Bible.

This can be seen in three points:

When we strive to become biblically literate, there is never any end to it. When the goal is biblical literacy, there is never an end to the studies, seminars, and conferences. You never know enough. It becomes an addiction of sorts.
Biblical literacy doesn’t automatically lead to biblical living. Most people who call for biblical literacy don’t actually want biblical literacy – they want people who follow and obey the Bible. This is a good thing. But the problem is that the same studies which report that people are more biblically illiterate than ever before usually also report that even those who know a lot about the Bible are not actually living that much more biblically than people who are ignorant of the Bible. So if biblical literacy isn’t “working” among those who have it, why are they trying to export it?
Biblical living very often leads to biblical learning. The call for biblical literacy is putting the cart before the horse. We’ve got the order backwards. People often think that you have to learn the Bible before you can live it, but I think that what we are beginning to see is that you actually have to live it before you can learn it. Yes, I know, this seems impossible. How can someone live something they have not learned? Well, they do need to learn a little bit, and the truth is that everyone pretty much already knows that little bit. So they don’t need to learn more until they have learned to live what they already know. Then, as issues comes up, as questions arise, these call them back to Scripture and Bible study and Christian for answers and ideas.

I call this “on the way” teaching. Or it could be called “Just in time” learning, or “On Demand” learning. This is the best way to learn something. You don’t need to learn something until you need it, and you don’t know what you need to learn until it comes up.

Here is how this works: You go out and you love or serve somebody. You put into practice the little bit you do know. And when an issue or question comes up that you cannot address, you say, “That is a great question. I don’t know. Let’s discuss it more together. What do you think? Let’s read this book. Let’s invite some others into this question and see what they say.”

In this way, you don’t come across as a know-it-all, you praise and honor the other person for their great question, and then you model for this other person the importance of ongoing study and learning and most of all, the importance of a community of relationships.

On the Way Learning was Modeled by Jesus

On the way learning is a beautiful way of learning that is modeled, of course, by Jesus. Jesus didn’t spend three years teaching His disciples in a classroom before sending them out. No, He told them a little bit, and then sent them out, and then when they came back, they debriefed and told Him what they saw and heard, and He taught them a bit more, and then sent them out again.

People don’t need more Bible learning. They just need to go out and live what they already know. Then, if they need more learning, well, they know what they need to learn and so it will mean that much more to them.

And how much does a person need to learn before they go out? I believe that pretty much everything a person needs to know to begin living biblically can be taught to them in 20 minutes. Maybe less. If I was really pressed for time, it could probably be taught in one minute or so. (See below)

The bottom line is that people know enough already. They don’t need to know more. They can go out and start loving and serving right now. When they do this, they will WANT to learn more when they see the usefulness and importance of what they already know.

So send them out! Encourage them to go out. Liberate them. Praise them for what they do. God is not saying to the church “Let my people learn,” but rather, “Let my people go!”

1 Minute Biblical living

If I had one minute to tell you everything you need to know to begin living biblically, I would say something like this:

If there is one thing Jesus reveals over and over, it is that you are loved. More than you can ever possibly know. This means there is nothing you can do to mess up. Nothing. So relax. Enjoy life. Enjoy people.
And as you come to the realization of how loved you are, try to show that same love to other people. You don’t need to correct their sin. You don’t need to invite them to church. You don’t need to tell them to do anything. Just love them. Love others as you have been loved and as you would want them to love you.
The rest follows from love. Everybody can love, and once you have learned to love, the rest just follows naturally.

Go ahead, read that out loud and time yourself. It’s about 1 minute, right? And living out what is said in those few sentences will take the rest of your life. And guess what? Even if you can’t list the four Gospels, the 10 Commandments, or the 66 books of the Bible, but you live out what is said above, you will be living biblically, even if you are technically “biblically illiterate.” Who can complain about that?

I believe it is not a problem that people know less about the Bible than they used to know. All I really care about is that people try to live out whatever it is they do know. How about you? What do you believe about this topic? Weigh in below!

Do you use these Christian Clichés? Please stop.

By Jeremy Myers
102 Comments

I have written about this before — “10 Christian Clichés to Avoid Like the Plague” and “Stop saying God Bless You” — but I keep running into more Christian Clichés that I wish Christians would remove from their vocabulary.

Please note that as I point these out I am not trying to be critical of Christians. Instead, I am hoping to make us real. The watching world is tired of empty answers to important issues, and instead wants us to engage them in real conversations about the pressing questions of our day. We can never do this if we always resort to Christian Clichés

So here are a few more Christian Clichés to avoid like the plague:

You’re Covered in the Blood!

Eeewww. That sounds … terrible. It sounds like a Freddy Krueger movie. I really don’t want to take a bath in blood.

Just Press In to God

Press in to God? What does that mean? How do I do it? Where is God so that I can press in to Him?

And won’t He think that’s a little strange if I press myself up against Him?

God is Good? … All the Time! … All the Time? … God is Good!

Lots of Christians include this sort of chant in their Sunday services.

But what does it mean? Is it even true?

Well, of course it’s true, but when a person is facing trouble and trials in life, does chanting this do anything to help? No. Not really.

Brother … Sister

This is when Christians refer to each other as “Brother” and “Sister” as in “Brother Bob here …”

It just sounds cultish. Don’t use it.

Jesus Saves!

He does? From what? See my post here on this: Saved: The Most Misunderstood Word in the Bible

Bless Your Heart

Unless I have heart problems, I am not sure my heart needs to be blessed.

It’s Good to Be in the House of the Lord

The house of the Lord? This building we’re in is God’s house?

Does He live here? Does He sleep here?

And what about the church down the road? Is that His House also? Why does He have so many houses? Does He really need them all?

Let Go and Let God

Let go of what? And let God do what? Are you saying I should just sit on my couch all day and let God run things for my life? I’m pretty sure that if I did this, I would lose my job, destroy my marriage, and die from starvation. So clearly there are numerous things God cannot do for me in my life. How can I know that God will actually do the things I am supposed to “Let go” of?

I’ve Got a Word for you from the Lord

Ironically, “a word” is usually hundreds of words. And the words are usually so vague, they could apply to anyone. They are often sort of like a fortune teller’s predictions about the future.

And even when the message from God is specific, it tends to benefit the person giving me “a word from the Lord” more than it benefits God or me. This makes me very suspicious that “a word from the Lord” is actually a word from you, and you are saying it came from God so that you can manipulate me into doing what you want.

Someone once told my parents “God told me to tell you to that you are supposed to give me your house.” My mother’s response was perfect. She said “Ok. As soon as God tells us the same thing, I will do it.”

Amen

I said this recently in a conversation with a non-Christian and he did a double-take at me and said, “Amen? As in the Egyptian Amen-Ra? Why would you say that?”

I had to explain that “Amen” is old way of stating agreement, and it means “Truly” or “That’s the truth!” A modern equivalent might be “Right!” or “Yes!”

He said, “Oh. Well, why don’t you just say that then?”

Amen!

The Spirit is Moving

He is? Moving where? Moving how? How can you tell? Does He need a U-Haul?

Isn’t God everywhere? If so, how can He move?

I’m going to lift you up in prayer

Lift me up? How? Do you need to touch me? Lift me up to where?

Lord, Put a Hedge of Protection Around Us

A hedge? Like … bushes?

And the bushes are going to protect me from what exactly? Maybe from The Knights who Say Ni!

I think a wall might be better, but with the things I’m struggling with, I don’t think even a wall will help. I’m not trying to keep out immigrants.

The Bible Says It. I Believe It. That Settles It.

Yes, well, the Bible doesn’t actually say what you think it says, which means you don’t actually believe it, and so nothing whatsoever is settled.

I wrote about this before as well: Nobody believes the Bible. not even you

A Cliché Sermon

There have been times when I have sat through Sunday sermons that were nothing but one long string of clichés like the ones above. The sermon went something like this:

Good morning! It’s good to be in the house of the Lord! Amen? (Audience: Amen!)
I’m Brother Bob! Wasn’t that song by Sister Mary just beautiful? Bless your heart, Sister Mary!
This morning, I’ve got a Word from the Lord for you. But before we get to that, I just want to say this: God is Good? (Audience: All the time!) All the time? (Audience: God is good!) Amen. Amen.
Can I get an Amen? (Audience: Amen!)
I am really excited about what the Lord has laid on my heart to share with you today. God just touched my Spirit this week, and I know that the Spirit is moving in this place today, and what I share with you is going to help you press in to God this week. Amen? Hallelujah!
What God wants you to do is just let go and let God. Whatever you’re facing in life, always remember that Jesus saves. That issue you are facing? That trouble, that trial? It’s covered in the blood! You’re covered in the blood. We’re all covered in the blood!
Can I get an amen? (Audience: Amen! Hallelujah!)
Now I got a Bible verse I’m gonna preach from today. But before I read it to you, I want to remind you that the Bible is the Word of God, and whatever it says, we can trust it. Remember, if the Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it.
Amen? Amen and Amen.
This past week I was walking through town, and I passed Brother Jim back there – everybody turn around and say hello to brother Jim! (Audience: Hello Brother Jim!) – you know, Brother Jim’s been having a real hard time in life, and I told him I would lift him up in prayer, and I would invite all of you to lift him up in prayer as well – just pray that God will remind him that he is covered in the blood and that no matter what he’s facing, Jesus saves and that he should just press in to God. Anyway, I was talking with Brother Jim, and hearing about his problems, and right at that moment, the Lord gave me a Word to share with Brother Jim, and after I shared it with him, I realized God wanted me to share this word with all of you as well, and it comes from a verse in the Bible.
Let’s turn to [Fill in the blank here for ANY verse in the entire Bible] and read it.
[The speaker then reads a random verse.]
Now what we see here is that God is speaking to us, and this is His very word, and we know that if God says it, it can be trusted, and we can believe it.
[The sermon goes on from here, basically repeating everything that has already been said.]

Now, did the pastor actually say anything? Nope. He didn’t say a single thing. Go back and read it and see if you can figure out what he is saying.

A REAL Blog Post I Discovered:

As I was searching for images for my blog post above, I came across the following blog post from another blogger. Go ahead and read it, and when you are done ask yourself, “What exactly did I just read? What was the message? What did I learn? What should I do? How can I put this into practice?”

I’m dressed in red today. On fire for the Lord; covered by the blood of Jesus. God, you can do anything but fail. Your purpose will prevail.
The minute your feet hit the ground the devil’s rehearsing your past. Looking for anything to distract God’s purpose. Look to God on purpose.
The devil can do nothing to you without God’s permission. He won’t win. He may come in like a flood. God will lift up a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19).
When storms are raging around you and it seems nothing is working out, God is with you. He will calm the seas. He’ll make everything alright.
Be encouraged. You’re covered by the blood. Put on the whole armor of God. Don’t look to the right or to the left. Look to the hills from whence cometh your help.
No matter what comes today, glorify God in it. He’s able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Pray without ceasing. Walk by faith.
Devil you’ve been served notice today. God will have his way. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. Every assignment has been cancelled. It’s already done. We’re returning everything you sent signed, sealed, and undelivered! We are covered by the blood. In the name of Jesus. Glory. Hallelujah!
Be blessed!

I read through several other blog posts on the blog that this one came from, and found that every single one of them was just like the one above. In fact, as I read, I discovered about 200 more Christian Clichés that lots of Christians say but which are completely meaningless. Here are some more I found on the site:

God is Working Things Out in Your Favor
God Will Never Leave You Where He Found You
Don’t Fit In; Stand Out!
Preparation Before Elevation
Your Breakthrough is Coming!
New Year; New You!
New Levels; New Devils
By His Stripes, You are Healed!
You Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens You
No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper
Don’t Fight the Battle You’ve Already Won

Yes, I know that some of these statements come directly from Scripture. But when we just quote them without thinking about them and do not really understand what these statements mean, even Bible verses can become Christian Clichés.

Why do Christians use Christian Clichés

There are a couple reasons Christians talk this way.

First, Christians talk this way because … well, because Christians talk this way. There is no other reason. Nobody in real life talks this way, and the only reason some Christians talk this way is because they spend a lot of time with each other and learn the Christian lingo so that everybody talks this way.

Second, Christians talk this way because it makes us sound spiritual. Christian clichés make us sound like we know what we’re talking about even when we don’t, they make us sound like we care even when we don’t, they make us sound like we understand Scripture even when we don’t.

I have heard cliché sermons like the one above where the pastor says absolutely nothing for 30 minutes, but because he got the audience to shout “Amen! Hallelujah!” a lot, they walk out of the building thinking that they just heard a really great sermon.

The thing is, outside of Christian circles, talking this way just makes people think we’re crazy. It makes people think we’re shallow and empty. That we don’t have anything to say. They hear us talk this way and all they do is roll their eyes.

So give up on cliché Christianity, and start living real life with real people as we have real conversations using real words about real issues. Can I get an Amen?