The Unshakeable Life

When You Try to Control God

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Description


Most people do not walk away from God because they stop believing. They walk away because the god they tried to control finally failed them.


In this episode, Jim sits down with Phill Tague, founding pastor of Ransom Church and author of Jesus Be the Centerfold: Choosing Covenant Faith Over Airbrushed Christianity, for a conversation about the difference between a curated, controllable faith and a covenant relationship with the real Jesus.


Phill explains why we “swipe right” on the parts of Jesus we like and “swipe left” on the parts we do not, how legalism can feel safe while quietly keeping you distant from God, and why the answer is not more checkboxes, but followership.


If you have ever felt like your faith is thin, confusing, or missing something, this episode will help you name what is happening and take one honest next step.


In This Episode, You Will Learn


  • How people create “Jesus in their own image,” and why it collapses in hard seasons
  • Why control is often the hidden engine underneath a curated faith
  • How to spot selective surrender and soundbite theology
  • Why legalism can feel safe, but still keeps you from the Father’s heart
  • Covenant vs contract faith, and why “Lordship” is the missing step for many Christians
  • How to tell conviction from shame (and why it matters)
  • One practical first step for the overwhelmed: stop, get quiet, create margin


    • Time Stamps


    00:00 Intro: The Jesus we imagine vs the real Jesus
    00:40 Meet Phill Tague and Ransom Church
    01:23 Book intro: Jesus Be the Centerfold
    02:11 Worshiping an image of Jesus vs worshiping Jesus
    03:30 What happens when we bend Jesus to our politics and preferences
    04:12 “Swipe right” theology and why people lose faith
    05:32 Control: trying to force life to go our way
    07:24 Curated faith and “soundbite” Christianity
    10:13 Legalism, safety, and the prodigal sons
    12:28 Intimacy defined: fully known and still chosen
    13:30 Covenant vs contract faith
    16:10 Saved by grace, then living by works (the checkbox trap)
    19:21 Conviction vs shame: “what you did” vs “who you are”
    21:18 Fighting passivity and the noise of modern life
    23:20 First step for the overwhelmed: stop, be still, create margin
    26:26 Sabbath, sabbatical, and learning what “zero” feels like
    28:19 Where to connect with Phill and get the study guide


    Key Takeaways


    • If your faith is built on a made-up version of God, hard seasons will expose it.
    • Control looks spiritual until life stops cooperating.
    • Soundbites can sound true while slowly forming a false Jesus.
    • Covenant faith is not a contract. It is surrender.
    • Conviction points to what you did. Shame attacks who you are.
    • Sometimes the most spiritual first step is simply to stop and get quiet.


      • Connect with Phil Tague


      🌐 Church: ransom.church
      🌐 Website: philtag.com (book links + free study guide)


      Connect with Jim


      1. 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.leadwithjim.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
      2. 🎙️ Ask a Question: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leadwithjim.com/ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
      3. 📱 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@leadwithjim⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
      4. ▶️ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lead with Jim⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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        6. Support & Engage with the Show


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        ✅ Leave a 5-star review if this episode encouraged your faith.

        ✅ For more faith-driven leadership content, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leadwithjim.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.


        Thanks for listening!


        Never miss an episode of The Unshakable Life. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app—and if this resonated, share it with a friend who needs the tools to develop an Unshakable Life!

        Connect with Jim

        🌐 Website: http://www.leadwithjim.com

        🎙️ Ask a Question: https://www.leadwithjim.com/ask

        📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadwithjim

        ▶️ YouTube: https://www.leadwithjim.live

        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadwithjim

         

        Support & Engage with the Show

        ✅ Subscribe to The Unshakable Life wherever you listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio

        ✅ Leave a 5-star review if this episode encouraged your faith.

        ✅ For more faith-driven leadership content, visit leadwithjim.com.

         

        Thanks for listening!

        Never miss an episode of The Unshakable Life. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. And if this conversation helped you think differently about joy, identity, or learning how to seize the day again, share it with a friend who needs the reminder that they are not stuck where they are.


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        The Unshakeable LifeBy Jim Burgoon