When sharing your salvation sounds annoying

We tackle the often misunderstood phrase, "asking Jesus into your heart," exploring its implications and why it may not resonate with everyone. The discussions aim to free listeners from guilt and provide a more genuine approach to faith.

• Examining the impact of Christian clichés on personal faith 
• The confusion surrounding the phrase "asking Jesus into your heart" 
• Encouragement to engage in authentic conversations about spirituality 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Are you tired of crappy Christian cliches?
That's what I call them, andwe're going to cover one of
those cliches today.
If you've come here looking forthe same guilt and condemnation
that you often receive fromyour pastor, congregation,
so-called Christian friends,your Bible study, your prayer

(00:21):
group, we're going to push a lotof that baggage to the side
here and we're going to goguilt-free.
This is Jimmy James Johnson,and I'm in your corner.
Let's get to it.
Have you ever heard someone sayI asked Jesus into my heart.
Have you ever been confused by,or turned off by, this cliche

(00:46):
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
terms all the time here you are,you're going through a
difficult time, or you'reperhaps a new believer or

(01:13):
getting settled in a new church,or maybe you're deeply embedded
in a Christian or a spirituallife and it frustrates you when
you go to somebody that'ssupposed to be understanding or
kind or have an encouraging word, or.
God forbid if somebody wouldjust listen to you without
overruling you or calling outwhat's wrong or why the Bible

(01:35):
says this, or why the Bible saysthat going to people for help,
being vulnerable, tellingsomebody about something you're
going through positive ornegative and having them just
smash you with these Christiancliches that you just feel fake,

(01:56):
hollow and empty and justaren't that helpful, not to
mention the fact that they mayactually push you to questioning
your faith just in general,because you're thinking, hey,
I'm trying to show up for God,or I'm doing my prayer thing, or

(02:16):
I'm going to church, or I'mgathering with others, like I'm
doing the things I know to do,and we may have enough trouble
just admitting that we love somepeople that are obviously very
close to us.
So to go to something even moreabstract and talk about it or

(02:38):
him or God, could be reallydifficult to speak in those
terms just to start with.
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?

(02:58):
Is there certain magic words Ihave to sprinkle over myself, or
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 ofthe sayings that you'll hear oh,
you just ask Jesus into yourheart.

(03:19):
And okay, for some people thatmight be very intuitive and very
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 another.

(03:39):
Using certain words, differentwords, maybe.
Using certain words, differentwords, maybe I've seen people
confused or just off-put.
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.

(04:00):
I'm not saying that's not aperfectly appropriate thing to
do in the whole Christian ritesof passage.
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's groupor a Bible study.
I'm probably not going to betalking about the love in my

(04:21):
heart as if I first jump offinto the conversation with these
guys.
Right?