Salvation sounds different to each Christian

This episode dives into the common Christian cliché of "asking Jesus into your heart," exploring its implications and the confusion it often instills. We discuss the need for authentic communication in faith communities, moving beyond clichés to foster genuine connections.

• Understanding the confusion surrounding faith phrases 
• Exploring the emotional weight of common clichés 
• The impact of language on new believers 
• Encouraging vulnerability in spiritual discussions 
• Challenging clichés to create authentic dialogues 
• Reevaluating our language around spirituality for deeper connections

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Are you tired of people hitting you with these
crappy Christian cliches?
That's what I call them, andwe're going to cover one of
those cliches today.
Have you ever heard someone sayI asked Jesus into my heart.
Hi, everyone, if you've comehere looking for the same guilt

(00:20):
and condemnation that you oftenreceive from your pastor,
congregation, so-calledChristian friends, your Bible
study, your prayer group, we'regoing to push a lot of that
baggage to the side here andwe're going to go guilt-free.
This is Jimmy James Johnson,and I'm in your corner.
Let's get to it.

(00:42):
Have you ever been confused by,or turned off by, this cliche of
asking Jesus into your heart?
As soon as we start talkingabout things like that, first of
all, just somewhatstereotypically, but as a guy,
as a man, we generally don'twalk around talking in those

(01:04):
terms all the time.
We generally don't walk aroundtalking in those terms all the
time.
Here you are, you're goingthrough a difficult time, or
you're perhaps a new believer orgetting settled in a new church
, or maybe you're deeplyembedded in a Christian or a
spiritual life and it frustratesyou when you go to somebody

(01:28):
that's supposed to beunderstanding or kind or have an
encouraging word, or God forbidif somebody would just listen
to you without objection oroverriding you or overruling you
or calling out what's wrong orwhy the Bible says this, or why
the Bible says that If you'reexhausted from going to people

(01:49):
for help, being vulnerable,telling somebody about something
you're going through positiveor hollow and empty, and just
aren't that helpful, not tomention the fact that they may

(02:13):
actually push you to questioningyour faith just in general,
because you're thinking, hey,I'm trying to show up for God,
or I'm doing my prayer thing, orI'm going to church, or I'm
gathering with others, I'm doingthe things I know to do, and we

(02:34):
may have enough trouble justadmitting that we love some
people that are obviously veryclose to us, obviously very
close to us.
So to go to something even moreabstract and talk about it, or
him or God, could be reallydifficult to speak in those
terms just to start with.

(02:55):
But here's the thing, though.
Let's say somebody's talking toyou about Christianity, or
you're a new believer and you'retrying to get a grasp on this
whole thing.
What is a Christian?
How do I become a Christian?
Is there a certain process?
Is there certain magic words Ihave to sprinkle over myself, or

(03:16):
something I need to read out ofa holy book.
How do I get that greencheckmark next to my name in the
eternal book of life?
One of the sayings that you'llhear oh, you just ask Jesus into
your heart.
And okay, for some people thatmight be very intuitive and very

(03:37):
touching and very intimate.
To feel that type of closenesswith God, with Christ, with the
Holy Spirit, it's something wecrave in some way or another or
described in some way or anotherusing certain words, different
words maybe.
I've seen people confused orjust off-put.

(04:01):
What the hell is this persontalking about when they start
using that cliche of oh, Ibecame a Christian last year.
I asked Jesus into my heart.
I'm not saying that's not agood thing to do.
I'm not saying that's not aperfectly appropriate thing to
do in the whole Christian ritesof passage, but let's consider
rarely do I enter a situation.

(04:21):
But let's consider, rarely do Ienter a situation, particularly
with people I really don't knowthat well, that might be coming
into a new church, a men'sgroup or a Bible study.
I'm probably not going to betalking about the love in my
heart as my first jump off intothe conversation with these guys

(04:42):
, right?