The Bible Never Said That

It’s good to want to grow, to be a better person. But Jesus calls us to a specific kind of growth. Our spiritual growth is not about attaining perfection, but surrendering to and being led by our perfect Savior.

In this episode, Chara unpacks the damage that the mentality “God helps those who help themselves” can have on a Christian’s life, and gives us a better framework for thinking about our sanctification without chasing perfection.

Verses Referenced: Romans 5:6, Matthew 5:48, Matthew 5:3, 1 Corinthians 1:27, Philippians 3:5-8, Romans 5:8, Romans 8:37-39, 1 Peter 1:15-16, John 17:17, James 4:1, Hebrews 12:14, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Philippians 1:3-11

Books Referenced:
Finding Holy in the Suburbs by Ashley Hales
In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin
Wild and Free by Jess Connolly and Hayley Morgan

Movies Referenced: Chariots of Fire

Articles Referenced:
10 Popular Statements that Are Theologically Unsound
How to Strive for Sanctification without Chasing Perfection

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Rest is a spiritual discipline we are really good at neglecting. You may have once said, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” as a way to assuage your spiral into burnout. It might work for the moment, but a chronic lack of real rest drives us straight toward anxiety and feelings of overwhelm.

In this episode, Chara dives into what God's Word really has to say about rest and why rest is foundational to who God is and his plan for us and the world.

Articles Referenced:
10 Popular Statements that Are Theologically Unsound: https://rb.gy/klhwac
How to Sleep Less: https://rb.gy/pwv8vg
4 Historical Geniuses Who Didn’t Sleep (And One Who Did!): https://rb.gy/ienv8l
Scientists Discover How Gene Mutation Reduces the Need for Sleep: https://rb.gy/oymowu
6 Lies We Believe Every Day: https://rb.gy/stan1k
What is the Sabbath and Is It Still Important Today?: https://rb.gy/nvunsm
5 Bible Passages to Quiet the Noisy Soul: https://rb.gy/3qdicy

Verses quoted: 1 Corinthians 15:6, Psalm 13:3, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Psalm 127:2, Psalm 121:2-4, Mark 4: 38-40, Matthew 11:28, Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11, Romans 1:25, Romans 14:3-5, Colossians 2:13-17, 1 Kings 19:11-23, Psalm 46:9-11, & Luke 10:38-42.

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This one can be controversial. It’s much easier to live in a world where we feel good about our own goodness. But none of us are good; none of us are righteous by our own merit. Of course, none of us are utterly evil, either. All of us are made in God’s image, bearing the Imagio Dei in our souls. That’s why our sin should grieve us. This is why all of us fall short of God’s glory, and this is why the grace of the gospel should fill us with hope. Our salvation does not depend on our goodness, but on God’s.

Verses quoted: Psalm 143:2 , Romans 11:32 , Romans 3:23, Genesis 3:14-15, Hebrews 12:14-29, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Jeremiah 9:23-24

Books quoted: Tim Keller’s The Reason for God

Articles Referenced: 10 Popular Statements That Are Theologically Unsound, 3 Pitfalls of Doubt for the Religious by Holly Hawes, Facts about Niagara Falls, The Image of God: Imago Dei

Movie Referenced: Avengers End Game

Conference Referenced: Made to Minister

Chara Donahue is a co-author of the Bible study 1, 2, & 3 John: Experiencing Transformation and is working on her next book. She is the founder and editor of Anchored Voices. Get in touch with her on Facebook or Twitter.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we say “I can’t forgive myself” we are putting ourselves in charge of our own forgiveness. This teeters dangerously close to a different gospel, one of self-salvation.

This particular lie tries to wear shame as a covering, but we know it for what it truly is: pride. We are essentially saying we know better than God when it comes to who is worthy or unworthy of forgiveness.

Verses quoted: Revelation 19:11, Isaiah 55:8-9, John 3:16-18, Psalm 139:1-8, Psalm 77: 5, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 51

Books quoted: Curt Thompson’s The Soul of Shame, Eugene Peterson’s A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, A.W. Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy

Articles referenced: 10 Popular Statements That Are Theologically Unsound, 7 Sure Steps of True Repentance (With Help from Psalm 51)

Chara Donahue is a co-author of the Bible study 1, 2, & 3 John: Experiencing Transformation and is working on her next book. She is the founder and editor of Anchored Voices. Get in touch with her on Facebook or Twitter.

Episode Image Credit: Getty/Overearth

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.