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Reclaiming True Faith:Top 5 Misconception #182 · Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation

• 0:00
  Dan: So we've covered a lot here today.
• 0:02
  Dan: We've unpacked these five really common misconceptions about faith.
• 0:08
  Sheila: 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.
• 0:18
  Dan: Welcome back to the Deep Dive everyone.
• 0:20
  Dan: I'm Dan.
• 0:21
  Sheila: And I'm Sheila.
• 0:22
  Dan: And we're Pastor Young's AI co-hosts.
• 0:24
  Sheila: We are and we're so glad to be back with you again today for another deep dive.
• 0:28
  Dan: And that means we're diving into faith and all the fascinating things that go with it.
• 0:33
  Sheila: Absolutely.
• 0:33
  Sheila: And don't forget, if you haven't grabbed your 30-day meditation journal yet, yeah, the one we talked about last week.
• 0:38
  Sheila: Yeah, the link is down in the description box below.
• 0:48
  Dan: And it's a really great companion for this series and, of course, all of Pastor Young's teaching.
• 0:50
  Dan: 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.
• 0:54
  Sheila: 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.
• 1:03
  Dan: Yeah, political or social.
• 1:05
  Sheila: Yeah, exactly, and you know, as Pastor Young points out, that can lead to some pretty big misunderstandings about what authentic faith really is.
• 1:15
  Dan: Right, right, and to really dig into that, we're going to be exploring his podcast.
• 1:19
  Dan: Not your Parents' Religion.
• 1:21
  Sheila: Yeah, it's a good one.
• 1:23
  Dan: 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.
• 1:34
  Sheila: So let's unpack some of these misconceptions.
• 1:36
  Dan: Yeah, let's do it.
• 1:37
  Sheila: Starting with one that we hear literally all the time.
• 1:41
  Dan: Okay, what's that?
• 1:41
  Sheila: The idea that faith is all about making the world a better place.
• 1:45
  Dan: Oh yeah, I feel like that's a really common one that you hear a lot.
• 1:48
  Sheila: Yeah, you know, like faith equals social action.
• 1:51
  Dan: Right.
• 1:51
  Sheila: But Pastor Young really challenges that notion.
• 1:54
  Dan: He does, he says, that's not quite it.
• 1:56
  Sheila: He argues that, while doing good works is important, they're not the foundation of faith faith.
• 2:03
  Sheila: It's about building that personal relationship with God through Jesus, first and foremost.
• 2:08
  Dan: So it's not just about like ticking off a checklist of good deeds.
• 2:11
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 2:12
  Sheila: It's more about an internal transformation that then, like, flows outward.
• 2:15
  Sheila: 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.
• 2:24
  Dan: Oh yeah, the self-empowerment narrative.
• 2:26
  Sheila: You got it.
• 2:26
  Sheila: You have the power within.
• 2:28
  Dan: You hear that everywhere.
• 2:29
  Sheila: Everywhere you go.
• 2:30
  Dan: And while there's some truth to it, Pastor Young seems to be saying that's only part of the story.
• 2:34
  Sheila: Right.
• 2:35
  Sheila: He encourages us to acknowledge that we have human limitations and that sometimes we really need to lean on a power greater than ourselves.
• 2:44
  Dan: Because we can't do it all on our own.
• 2:46
  Sheila: We can't, and he often talks about how you know, relying only on our own strength can actually set us up for disappointment.
• 2:53
  Dan: Yeah, when we inevitably fail.
• 2:55
  Sheila: Right.
• 2:55
  Dan: So it's about recognizing that we're not superhuman.
• 2:58
  Sheila: Right.
• 2:59
  Dan: But we can tap into a source of strength beyond ourselves.
• 3:02
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 3:02
  Sheila: It's about humility and surrender, recognizing our need for God.
• 3:07
  Dan: That's a good point.
• 3:08
  Sheila: And you know this ties into another misconception that we see a lot, especially here in the US.
• 3:14
  Dan: What's that?
• 3:15
  Sheila: The idea that faith is like this cosmic vending machine.
• 3:18
  Dan: Oh, you mean the prosperity gospel?
• 3:19
  Sheila: thing.
• 3:19
  Sheila: 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.
• 3:28
  Dan: Yeah, pastor Young is very vocal about the dangers of that kind of thinking.
• 3:32
  Sheila: Oh yeah, he doesn't mince words about that.
• 3:34
  Dan: He emphasizes that faith is not about trying to manipulate God, no, to get what we want.
• 3:40
  Sheila: Right, it's not about personal gain.
• 3:41
  Sheila: Right, it's not about personal gain.
• 3:42
  Dan: Which I guess leads us to the next misconception.
• 3:44
  Sheila: Yeah, what's that?
• 3:45
  Dan: That faith is about hearing what we want to hear from God.
• 3:49
  Sheila: Oh yeah.
• 3:50
  Dan: Whether or not it lines up with his actual message.
• 3:52
  Sheila: It's that confirmation bias.
• 3:53
  Sheila: Yeah, we all struggle with it.
• 3:55
  Sheila: You know it's so easy to do.
• 3:57
  Sheila: We cherry pick the parts of scripture that resonate with our desires.
• 4:01
  Dan: Yeah.
• 4:03
  Sheila: Or you know justify our choices.
• 4:04
  Sheila: Right, even if they're not really part of God's bigger plan for our lives.
• 4:07
  Dan: So true faith requires us to be open.
• 4:10
  Dan: Yeah, to God's message.
• 4:12
  Sheila: Especially when it's challenging us.
• 4:13
  Dan: Yeah, even when it's not what we want to hear.
• 4:16
  Sheila: Right, it's about surrendering to God's will.
• 4:19
  Dan: Not trying to like bend it to our own.
• 4:21
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 4:22
  Sheila: And finally, we come to the misconception that faith is just about doing the right thing, you know, following a strict set of rules.
• 4:31
  Dan: Oh yeah, Just check off the list and you're good.
• 4:32
  Sheila: Yeah, you know A, b and C and you're golden.
• 4:36
  Dan: Yeah, but that kind of misses the point, doesn't it?
• 4:38
  Sheila: It really does.
• 4:39
  Sheila: Pastor Young says that this kind of legalistic approach often overlooks the importance of genuine heart transformation.
• 4:45
  Sheila: It's not just about outward actions, but about cultivating an inner life that reflects God's love and grace.
• 4:53
  Dan: So it's not just about the letter of the law, it's about the spirit of the law.
• 4:56
  Dan: Exactly, and sometimes I think that kind of legalistic thinking can lead to judgment and exclusion.
• 5:02
  Sheila: Yeah, instead of love and compassion.
• 5:04
  Sheila: 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.
• 5:14
  Dan: So we've covered a lot here today.
• 5:16
  Dan: We've unpacked these five really common misconceptions about faith.
• 5:22
  Sheila: 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.
• 5:31
  Dan: Yeah, that's a really important point to remember.
• 5:34
  Sheila: 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.
• 5:41
  Sheila: It's not a way to manipulate God right?
• 5:43
  Sheila: or justify our own desires.
• 5:43
  Sheila: Right, it's about something much deeper than that.
• 5:46
  Dan: And that's a lot to think about.
• 5:47
  Sheila: Yeah.
• 5:48
  Dan: So for all of you listening out there, yes, here's a question for you to ponder.
• 5:51
  Dan: Okay, as you continue on your own faith journey, which of these misconceptions might you need to kind of reexamine?
• 5:59
  Sheila: Oh, that's a good question.
• 6:00
  Dan: In your own life.
• 6:01
  Sheila: Yeah.
• 6:02
  Dan: And how might shifting your perspective bring you closer to a more authentic experience of faith?
• 6:07
  Sheila: That's worth thinking about.
• 6:09
  Dan: Thanks for joining us.
• 6:10
  Sheila: Yes, thank you.
• 6:11
  Dan: And we'll see you next week for another Deep Dive.
• 6:12
  Dan: See ya, bye, bye you.