Reclaiming True Faith:Top 5 Misconception #182

Can faith be more than just a tool for self-improvement or a ticket to a prosperous life? Discover how Pastor Young challenges these prevalent misconceptions and guides us toward understanding faith as a deeply personal journey with God, rather than a societal checklist or a pathway to self-empowerment. Explore the heart of authentic faith, which transcends worldly goals and taps into a strength greater than ourselves, fostering genuine transformation from within. 

Join us and Pastor Young’s AI co-hosts, Dan and Sheila, as we unpack these misconceptions and invite you to see faith through a different lens. We discuss how true faith isn’t about hearing what we want from God, but about nurturing a connection that guides us meaningfully through life. Unravel the essence of what it means to live a life centered on a relationship with God and learn how this profound understanding can reshape your actions and interactions with the world around you. This episode promises to be a thought-provoking exploration that redefines how we perceive faith and its role in our lives.

Transcript

Dan: 0:00

So we've covered a lot here today. We've unpacked these five really common misconceptions about faith.

Sheila: 0:08

We have, and I think what it all boils down to is that faith at its core is about a personal relationship with God through Jesus.

Dan: 0:18

Welcome back to the Deep Dive everyone. I'm Dan.

Sheila: 0:21

And I'm Sheila.

Dan: 0:22

And we're Pastor Young's AI co-hosts.

Sheila: 0:24

We are and we're so glad to be back with you again today for another deep dive.

Dan: 0:28

And that means we're diving into faith and all the fascinating things that go with it.

Sheila: 0:33

Absolutely. And don't forget, if you haven't grabbed your 30-day meditation journal yet, yeah, the one we talked about last week. Yeah, the link is down in the description box below.

Dan: 0:48

And it's a really great companion for this series and, of course, all of Pastor Young's teaching. So today we're going to be tackling something that Pastor Young has been talking about a lot lately, yeah, he has and that is the common misconceptions surrounding faith.

Sheila: 0:54

It seems like everyone's got a different idea of what faith is supposed to look like these days and you know, as people trying to like fit Jesus into all these different boxes.

Dan: 1:03

Yeah, political or social.

Sheila: 1:05

Yeah, exactly, and you know, as Pastor Young points out, that can lead to some pretty big misunderstandings about what authentic faith really is.

Dan: 1:15

Right, right, and to really dig into that, we're going to be exploring his podcast. Not your Parents' Religion.

Sheila: 1:21

Yeah, it's a good one.

Dan: 1:23

It is, and it's really interesting because he sees this big disconnect between what a lot of people think is and what it actually means to like really live a life centered on a relationship with God.

Sheila: 1:34

So let's unpack some of these misconceptions.

Dan: 1:36

Yeah, let's do it.

Sheila: 1:37

Starting with one that we hear literally all the time.

Dan: 1:41

Okay, what's that?

Sheila: 1:41

The idea that faith is all about making the world a better place.

Dan: 1:45

Oh yeah, I feel like that's a really common one that you hear a lot.

Sheila: 1:48

Yeah, you know, like faith equals social action.

Dan: 1:51

Right.

Sheila: 1:51

But Pastor Young really challenges that notion.

Dan: 1:54

He does, he says, that's not quite it.

Sheila: 1:56

He argues that, while doing good works is important, they're not the foundation of faith faith. It's about building that personal relationship with God through Jesus, first and foremost.

Dan: 2:08

So it's not just about like ticking off a checklist of good deeds.

Sheila: 2:11

Exactly. It's more about an internal transformation that then, like, flows outward. That makes sense, yeah, and that actually leads us to another really common misconception the idea that faith is about, you know, finding strength within yourself.

Dan: 2:24

Oh yeah, the self-empowerment narrative.

Sheila: 2:26

You got it. You have the power within.

Dan: 2:28

You hear that everywhere.

Sheila: 2:29

Everywhere you go.

Dan: 2:30

And while there's some truth to it, Pastor Young seems to be saying that's only part of the story.

Sheila: 2:34

Right. He encourages us to acknowledge that we have human limitations and that sometimes we really need to lean on a power greater than ourselves.

Dan: 2:44

Because we can't do it all on our own.

Sheila: 2:46

We can't, and he often talks about how you know, relying only on our own strength can actually set us up for disappointment.

Dan: 2:53

Yeah, when we inevitably fail.

Sheila: 2:55

Right.

Dan: 2:55

So it's about recognizing that we're not superhuman.

Sheila: 2:58

Right.

Dan: 2:59

But we can tap into a source of strength beyond ourselves.

Sheila: 3:02

Exactly. It's about humility and surrender, recognizing our need for God.

Dan: 3:07

That's a good point.

Sheila: 3:08

And you know this ties into another misconception that we see a lot, especially here in the US.

Dan: 3:14

What's that?

Sheila: 3:15

The idea that faith is like this cosmic vending machine.

Dan: 3:18

Oh, you mean the prosperity gospel?

Sheila: 3:19

thing. That's exactly what I mean, where, if you just have enough faith, yeah, then God will just grant you wealth and good fortune, right, health and happiness, the whole nine yards.

Dan: 3:28

Yeah, pastor Young is very vocal about the dangers of that kind of thinking.

Sheila: 3:32

Oh yeah, he doesn't mince words about that.

Dan: 3:34

He emphasizes that faith is not about trying to manipulate God, no, to get what we want.

Sheila: 3:40

Right, it's not about personal gain. Right, it's not about personal gain.

Dan: 3:42

Which I guess leads us to the next misconception.

Sheila: 3:44

Yeah, what's that?

Dan: 3:45

That faith is about hearing what we want to hear from God.

Sheila: 3:49

Oh yeah.

Dan: 3:50

Whether or not it lines up with his actual message.

Sheila: 3:52

It's that confirmation bias. Yeah, we all struggle with it. You know it's so easy to do. We cherry pick the parts of scripture that resonate with our desires.

Dan: 4:01

Yeah.

Sheila: 4:03

Or you know justify our choices. Right, even if they're not really part of God's bigger plan for our lives.

Dan: 4:07

So true faith requires us to be open. Yeah, to God's message.

Sheila: 4:12

Especially when it's challenging us.

Dan: 4:13

Yeah, even when it's not what we want to hear.

Sheila: 4:16

Right, it's about surrendering to God's will.

Dan: 4:19

Not trying to like bend it to our own.

Sheila: 4:21

Exactly. And finally, we come to the misconception that faith is just about doing the right thing, you know, following a strict set of rules.

Dan: 4:31

Oh yeah, Just check off the list and you're good.

Sheila: 4:32

Yeah, you know A, b and C and you're golden.

Dan: 4:36

Yeah, but that kind of misses the point, doesn't it?

Sheila: 4:38

It really does. Pastor Young says that this kind of legalistic approach often overlooks the importance of genuine heart transformation. It's not just about outward actions, but about cultivating an inner life that reflects God's love and grace.

Dan: 4:53

So it's not just about the letter of the law, it's about the spirit of the law. Exactly, and sometimes I think that kind of legalistic thinking can lead to judgment and exclusion.

Sheila: 5:02

Yeah, instead of love and compassion. Right, Pastor Young encourages us to move beyond that rule-based approach and embrace a faith that's rooted in trust and a deep understanding of God's mercy and grace.

Dan: 5:14

So we've covered a lot here today. We've unpacked these five really common misconceptions about faith.

Sheila: 5:22

We have, and I think what it all boils down to is that faith at its core is about a personal relationship with God through Jesus.

Dan: 5:31

Yeah, that's a really important point to remember.

Sheila: 5:34

It's not a checklist of good deeds, it's not a path to self-empowerment, it's not a way to manipulate God or justify our own desires. It's not a way to manipulate God right? or justify our own desires. Right, it's about something much deeper than that.

Dan: 5:46

And that's a lot to think about.

Sheila: 5:47

Yeah.

Dan: 5:48

So for all of you listening out there, yes, here's a question for you to ponder. Okay, as you continue on your own faith journey, which of these misconceptions might you need to kind of reexamine?

Sheila: 5:59

Oh, that's a good question.

Dan: 6:00

In your own life.

Sheila: 6:01

Yeah.

Dan: 6:02

And how might shifting your perspective bring you closer to a more authentic experience of faith?

Sheila: 6:07

That's worth thinking about.

Dan: 6:09

Thanks for joining us.

Sheila: 6:10

Yes, thank you.

Dan: 6:11

And we'll see you next week for another Deep Dive. See ya, bye, bye you.