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Your Jesus Is Too American: Calling the Church to Reclaim Kingdom Values over the American Dream
The American church faces a discipleship crisis. Instead of following the values of Jesus, many Christians are chasing after what our culture power, money, and political influence.
In Your Jesus Is Too American, Baptist pastor Steve Bezner invites Christians to rediscover what Jesus treasured and incorporate those kingdom values into the church's witness.
With a pastoral voice, Bezner shares the lessons he has been teaching in his church community for eleven years—humble service rather than worldly success, healing relationships across religious and ethnic divides, repairing harm against marginalized groups, giving generously, and providing a political witness rooted in the local church. Bezner shows that Jesus's vision of discipleship points the way toward a different way of being in the world.
The book offers a welcome perspective for church leaders and congregants alike who are frustrated with the way many churches pursue values that are not in line with Jesus's teachings and are worried about the American church's credibility crisis. It includes a foreword by Beth Moore.
In Your Jesus Is Too American, Baptist pastor Steve Bezner invites Christians to rediscover what Jesus treasured and incorporate those kingdom values into the church's witness.
With a pastoral voice, Bezner shares the lessons he has been teaching in his church community for eleven years—humble service rather than worldly success, healing relationships across religious and ethnic divides, repairing harm against marginalized groups, giving generously, and providing a political witness rooted in the local church. Bezner shows that Jesus's vision of discipleship points the way toward a different way of being in the world.
The book offers a welcome perspective for church leaders and congregants alike who are frustrated with the way many churches pursue values that are not in line with Jesus's teachings and are worried about the American church's credibility crisis. It includes a foreword by Beth Moore.
208 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2024
82 people are currently reading
870 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 4, 2025
Despite its title, this is (mostly) not a book about Christian nationalism. Instead, it is a call for Christians to return to the values of God’s Kingdom that are at the heart of our faith. As someone who can get WAY too caught up in earthly distractions, I found this book to be a much-needed gentle corrective and a reminder to reorient myself.
The author cannot easily be fit into a “conservative” or “liberal” box. This means that there will likely be sections of this book that readers disagree with. As a member of an LGBTQ+ affirming church, I strongly disagree with the author’s views that every queer Christian is called to be celibate. However, I absolutely support his view that Christians who are single or called to celibacy (of any sexual orientation!) need much more support from our churches. More conservative Christians will certainly have their own points of disagreement with the author. But at its core, this book shows such a love for God and neighbour that few will disagree with its main thesis.
A standout part was the chapter of racial justice, in which the author boldly admits to his own past racist attitudes. He talks about the ways his church has intentionally charted a path to multiculturalism and the ways it still falls short of this goal. His reminder that Revelation depicts a joyful, multi-ethnic Heaven is an effective corrective to flawed ideas of “colourblindness” that are still prevalent in many churches.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I think Christians across the theological and political spectrum would benefit from reading it.
The author cannot easily be fit into a “conservative” or “liberal” box. This means that there will likely be sections of this book that readers disagree with. As a member of an LGBTQ+ affirming church, I strongly disagree with the author’s views that every queer Christian is called to be celibate. However, I absolutely support his view that Christians who are single or called to celibacy (of any sexual orientation!) need much more support from our churches. More conservative Christians will certainly have their own points of disagreement with the author. But at its core, this book shows such a love for God and neighbour that few will disagree with its main thesis.
A standout part was the chapter of racial justice, in which the author boldly admits to his own past racist attitudes. He talks about the ways his church has intentionally charted a path to multiculturalism and the ways it still falls short of this goal. His reminder that Revelation depicts a joyful, multi-ethnic Heaven is an effective corrective to flawed ideas of “colourblindness” that are still prevalent in many churches.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I think Christians across the theological and political spectrum would benefit from reading it.
August 8, 2024
You could easily be forgiven if, when opening the pages of Steve Bezner's "Your Jesus Is Too American: Calling the Church to Reclaim Kingdom Values Over the American Dream," you found yourself expecting yet another political diatribe or even an anti-Trump manifesto.
I wasn't sure what to expect from "Your Jesus Is Too American." However, I'm quite sure it's not what I received.
"Your Jesus Is Too American" addresses politics for sure, however, politics is only one area addressed by Bezner's passionate yet tender call for the American church to return to following the values of Jesus instead of what we see so frequently these days - Christians chasing after the things valued by our culture like power, money, and political influence.
Gently yet pointedly, Baptist pastor Bezner encourages Christians to rediscover what Jesus treasured and to re-incorporate kingdom values into the church's witness.
While I expected Bezner to discuss the political realm, I didn't quite expect his pastoral journey through addressing such topics as what the world defines as success, healing relationships across religious and ethnic divides, repairing harm against marginalized groups, generous giving, sexuality and, yes, being a political witness guided by Jesus's vision of discipleship.
I'm at an unusual point in my life. After being raised as a Jehovah's Witness and spending my adult years mostly in cultish "prosperity theology" guided churches, I began a years-long journey into church plants, grassroots local churches, small denominations (including several years as a Church of the Brethren minister), and urban ministry. To this day, I live in one of Indianapolis's more economically challenged areas. However, a couple years ago I joined, quite happily, one of Indy's larger churches and a more affluent church than I'd ever experienced.
It has been culture shock.
Yet, as a Christian with significant disabilities it is a place I call home. It is a place where I was embraced when I had nothing else to offer. I had always been geared toward service, however, I went through a period of significant health challenges where serving and giving and donating and even showing up every Sunday was no longer realistic. For reasons I'm still not sure I can identify, this church gave witness to kingdom values in a way I'd not really experienced.
Perfect? Of course not. No church is perfect. We're human and despite our best intentions our humanity tends to show. It's that humanity that shines most throughout "Your Jesus is too American," a humility with Bezner that is refreshing and a willingness to acknowledge the quirks, foibles, and weaknesses of what it means to be Christian and human and trying to get it right but still getting it wrong and then working to get back on track.
Did I agree with everything here? Nah, not a chance. However, Bezner's pastoral approach to these topics become less preachy and more teachy. Bezner invites contemplation, prayer, discussion, and yet makes his points incredibly well. Bezner's discussions around sexuality, for example, were unlike nearly any other discussions I've experienced as he emphasized kingdom values over cultural touchpoints. It's difficult to describe this section without giving too much away (which I won't do), but I found myself rather engaged and appreciative for Bezner's points around intimacy.
There's much to love about "Your Jesus is Too American," a call for the American church to reclaim kingdom values over the American dream. With pastoral wisdom and insight, Bezner has crafted a meaningful and engaging call to return to the way of Jesus.
I wasn't sure what to expect from "Your Jesus Is Too American." However, I'm quite sure it's not what I received.
"Your Jesus Is Too American" addresses politics for sure, however, politics is only one area addressed by Bezner's passionate yet tender call for the American church to return to following the values of Jesus instead of what we see so frequently these days - Christians chasing after the things valued by our culture like power, money, and political influence.
Gently yet pointedly, Baptist pastor Bezner encourages Christians to rediscover what Jesus treasured and to re-incorporate kingdom values into the church's witness.
While I expected Bezner to discuss the political realm, I didn't quite expect his pastoral journey through addressing such topics as what the world defines as success, healing relationships across religious and ethnic divides, repairing harm against marginalized groups, generous giving, sexuality and, yes, being a political witness guided by Jesus's vision of discipleship.
I'm at an unusual point in my life. After being raised as a Jehovah's Witness and spending my adult years mostly in cultish "prosperity theology" guided churches, I began a years-long journey into church plants, grassroots local churches, small denominations (including several years as a Church of the Brethren minister), and urban ministry. To this day, I live in one of Indianapolis's more economically challenged areas. However, a couple years ago I joined, quite happily, one of Indy's larger churches and a more affluent church than I'd ever experienced.
It has been culture shock.
Yet, as a Christian with significant disabilities it is a place I call home. It is a place where I was embraced when I had nothing else to offer. I had always been geared toward service, however, I went through a period of significant health challenges where serving and giving and donating and even showing up every Sunday was no longer realistic. For reasons I'm still not sure I can identify, this church gave witness to kingdom values in a way I'd not really experienced.
Perfect? Of course not. No church is perfect. We're human and despite our best intentions our humanity tends to show. It's that humanity that shines most throughout "Your Jesus is too American," a humility with Bezner that is refreshing and a willingness to acknowledge the quirks, foibles, and weaknesses of what it means to be Christian and human and trying to get it right but still getting it wrong and then working to get back on track.
Did I agree with everything here? Nah, not a chance. However, Bezner's pastoral approach to these topics become less preachy and more teachy. Bezner invites contemplation, prayer, discussion, and yet makes his points incredibly well. Bezner's discussions around sexuality, for example, were unlike nearly any other discussions I've experienced as he emphasized kingdom values over cultural touchpoints. It's difficult to describe this section without giving too much away (which I won't do), but I found myself rather engaged and appreciative for Bezner's points around intimacy.
There's much to love about "Your Jesus is Too American," a call for the American church to reclaim kingdom values over the American dream. With pastoral wisdom and insight, Bezner has crafted a meaningful and engaging call to return to the way of Jesus.
December 28, 2024
Great book! The title may be the harshest aspect of this book. I was looking forward to a bit of a self-righteous rant against Republicans, but that’s not what I got. Instead I got a great reminder of what it means to love Jesus and therefore engage with everyone around me in that love.
Some highlights :
“This is a book about obedience to the way of Jesus! It is also a book about how the way of Jesus often stands in stark contrast with the American way.”
“Can the church be true to its calling when retaining power is in its mind at all?”
Everything he says about ‘the kingdom’ in ch 1&2 - “Humans are created to be God’s partners in making this world a better place, not simply to wait for the afterlife.”
“At the same time, the Bible is clear about our responsibil-
ity to care for those who are impoverished.
After all, the word "liberal" means " generous… My point is that if God cares for the poor, then the church must care for the poor, and we must organize our finances as such-both individually and communally… As we are liberal in our generosity, we model the liberal generosity shown by God through Jesus. The great obstacle we face in regard to generosity is that of fear.” -ch 5
“It is a great irony that the group of people often obsessed with marriage and family have ostracized those most in need of a family.” - ch 6
After touching on biblical topics like - abortion, racism, corruption, the powerful neglecting the powerless, immigration, caring for the poor, poverty- he says “Careful readers will note that the kingdom vision of political issues does not cleanly square with the talking points of either of the main political parties in the United States…” -ch 7
“Between elections they should actively engage to speak and organize prophetically to make the world look a little more like heaven.” (My interpretation; not just during sexy election season when everyone else is talking about stuff so you guess you’ll throw something on your social media in support or outrage too.) -ch 7
“Christian politics ought to work not only to speak the truth but to also craft a reality that cares for our weaker neighbors, that creates a space for them in the community. As we stand for the weak, we turn neighbor love into political action.” -ch7
“We are intended to be one in Christ, but we are not intended to be homogeneous. We are intended to be unified but not uniform.” - ch 8
“the American church is in danger of ignoring suffering because it has had that luxury… it is often easier to point to the positive than to sit in suffering.” -ch 9
Good stuff - I do feel like his chapter on sexuality and the chapter on race may be a bit simplistic, but lots of good resources for these topics thankfully.
Some highlights :
“This is a book about obedience to the way of Jesus! It is also a book about how the way of Jesus often stands in stark contrast with the American way.”
“Can the church be true to its calling when retaining power is in its mind at all?”
Everything he says about ‘the kingdom’ in ch 1&2 - “Humans are created to be God’s partners in making this world a better place, not simply to wait for the afterlife.”
“At the same time, the Bible is clear about our responsibil-
ity to care for those who are impoverished.
After all, the word "liberal" means " generous… My point is that if God cares for the poor, then the church must care for the poor, and we must organize our finances as such-both individually and communally… As we are liberal in our generosity, we model the liberal generosity shown by God through Jesus. The great obstacle we face in regard to generosity is that of fear.” -ch 5
“It is a great irony that the group of people often obsessed with marriage and family have ostracized those most in need of a family.” - ch 6
After touching on biblical topics like - abortion, racism, corruption, the powerful neglecting the powerless, immigration, caring for the poor, poverty- he says “Careful readers will note that the kingdom vision of political issues does not cleanly square with the talking points of either of the main political parties in the United States…” -ch 7
“Between elections they should actively engage to speak and organize prophetically to make the world look a little more like heaven.” (My interpretation; not just during sexy election season when everyone else is talking about stuff so you guess you’ll throw something on your social media in support or outrage too.) -ch 7
“Christian politics ought to work not only to speak the truth but to also craft a reality that cares for our weaker neighbors, that creates a space for them in the community. As we stand for the weak, we turn neighbor love into political action.” -ch7
“We are intended to be one in Christ, but we are not intended to be homogeneous. We are intended to be unified but not uniform.” - ch 8
“the American church is in danger of ignoring suffering because it has had that luxury… it is often easier to point to the positive than to sit in suffering.” -ch 9
Good stuff - I do feel like his chapter on sexuality and the chapter on race may be a bit simplistic, but lots of good resources for these topics thankfully.
January 20, 2025
A call to action for Christians to focus solely on the cross of Christ again. A wonderful look at kingdom work through personal narrative and (largely) the Sermon on the Mount.
May 3, 2025
This book was not what I thought it would be. It took my emotional response to the title and left it at the feet of Jesus
Filled with profound thoughts on the meaning of Kingdom living and presented subtle direction towards how many Christians in the West are not living to that expectation.
Lots of references to Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship written in 1930's Germany made for important parallels to today's relationships between church and state, it's faults and possibilities of reconciliation.
If US Church leaders and pastors had required reading - this should be on the list.
Filled with profound thoughts on the meaning of Kingdom living and presented subtle direction towards how many Christians in the West are not living to that expectation.
Lots of references to Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship written in 1930's Germany made for important parallels to today's relationships between church and state, it's faults and possibilities of reconciliation.
If US Church leaders and pastors had required reading - this should be on the list.
December 26, 2025
This book does a really effective job of not just confronting the problems in the American church but offering tangible solutions on how to get back to being the church. The stark contrast in the American way and the Jesus way presented in the book is alarming and should motivate believers to confront their complicity in the American way and ask how they can take up the Jesus way instead. I really enjoyed the read!
June 2, 2025
This book was an excellent book that challenges readers with a different perspective, focusing on reclaiming Kingdom values and living as Jesus did, rather than searching for the American dream. While it deals with some political aspects, that is not the main focus of this book. Instead it shows how Jesus dealt with people during the time he was establishing the Church, and encourages us to live as Jesus lived. Let the Church be the Church that Jesus intended!!
March 26, 2025
This is a thoughtful, insightful book. The last chapter on suffering was personal and beautiful.
November 23, 2025
Honestly different than I expected, in very good ways!!
February 11, 2025
A gentle and measured call to Christians to put God’s Kingdom above our other allegiances. A clear analysis of different areas of life where we may be more a product of our environments than a product of the Lord’s refinement. If read with an open heart, there is something here to bring us each reader to conviction and repentance.
December 31, 2024
Reading Your Jesus is Too American with my mom, an Evangelical Christian, was an enriching experience. As someone who is non-religious, I found it interesting to see how some Christians are working to recapture a vision of the church that emphasizes community and serving the needy, rather than being a judgmental, insular group. It’s refreshing to encounter a perspective that critiques cultural Christianity and seeks to align more closely with the teachings of Jesus.
That said, my own perspective limited how much of the book I could apply personally. I appreciated the critiques but wished for more depth in certain areas. For instance, the chapter on sexuality barely touched on the Church’s harmful stance toward the LGBTQ+ community, which is a critical and ongoing issue. Similarly, the discussion on race felt incomplete; it would have benefited from a deeper exploration of systemic racism in the U.S., particularly its roots in policies like the GI Bill and its ongoing impacts.
Overall, I enjoyed the book’s core message and the conversations it sparked with my mom. It’s a good starting point for rethinking the American church’s role, but I hope future works in this vein will dive deeper into these important and challenging topics.
That said, my own perspective limited how much of the book I could apply personally. I appreciated the critiques but wished for more depth in certain areas. For instance, the chapter on sexuality barely touched on the Church’s harmful stance toward the LGBTQ+ community, which is a critical and ongoing issue. Similarly, the discussion on race felt incomplete; it would have benefited from a deeper exploration of systemic racism in the U.S., particularly its roots in policies like the GI Bill and its ongoing impacts.
Overall, I enjoyed the book’s core message and the conversations it sparked with my mom. It’s a good starting point for rethinking the American church’s role, but I hope future works in this vein will dive deeper into these important and challenging topics.
August 9, 2025
This is a good one. Other reviewers have said it better, but this is not a book calling out politics (for the most part), but a book calling God’s people to live as citizens of His kingdom.
October 15, 2024
No Matter Your Thinking About 'Christianity', This Will Challenge You. This is one of those excellent books that truly no matter what you think of Christianity or any given Christian-type theology, Bezner is going to find ways to challenge you - in the manner of the classic pastor joke as follows:
Man comes up to the Pastor after the service. "Preacher, you were stepping on my toes in there!"
Pastor replies: "I apologize. I was aiming about 3 feet higher." (For his heart, in case that is unclear.)
In other words, yes, Bezner is a pastor and yes, this is written in that general style - but it also isn't a book seeking to destroy everything you hold dear so much as gently goad you in areas where maybe you're wrong - or maybe Bezner is.
And I'm not joking when I say no matter your thoughts on Christianity here. Bezner goads the conservatives with his talk of their lily white - or coal black - churches and the need for churches to be more multicultural. Bezner goads the liberals with his insistence that sex is only for straight married couples - and goads everyone with his insistence that more needs to be done to support single adults, no matter their sexual choices. He even manages to goad the Anarchists by *actively citing 1 Samuel* - the very passage where YAHWEH decrees that obedience to an earthly king as a rejection of Himself! - and arguing that earthly kings are necessary, but that a "prophet" is needed to stand outside their court and hold them to account.
If you're looking for a book "taking down" "Christian Nationalism".... this isn't your book, and Bezner never intended it to be. If you're looking for a book that decries *all* politics in the American Church and instead calls for complete separation between the Church and politics... this isn't your book, and Bezner never intended it to be. It is quite clear that he sought to write exactly the kind of book he did - calling Americans of *all* political persuasions and telling them that according to his own beliefs, they're wrong. As with anything else, at that point your mileage absolutely varies. I do believe that we can all gain something from reading this book, but I do NOT believe that Bezner is as correct as he clearly thinks he is.
Ultimately two stars were deducted here. One for the prooftexting, even though it only *blatantly* happened as quotes to begin chapters - I don't really recall seeing it anywhere else. (For those unaware, "prooftexting" is the practice of citing Bible verses out of context in support of some claim or another.) So while not as bad as some others in this space, it is a practice that is an automatic star deduction from me *any* time I see it.
The other star deducted was for the near absolute dearth of any bibliography. While this book was indeed more pastoral in tone, it was still a nonfiction book and should have been cited much more thoroughly than it was - 20-30% bibliography is my general expectation based on my experiences overall, though I'm a bit more willing to come down to 15% as the lower number with more recent (2021 and forward or so) texts seeming to indicate this is a general shift in nonfiction books of this era.
Still, despite the two star deduction here largely on technical matters, this really is a solid book that every American needs to read - perhaps particularly during election seasons.
Very much recommended.
Man comes up to the Pastor after the service. "Preacher, you were stepping on my toes in there!"
Pastor replies: "I apologize. I was aiming about 3 feet higher." (For his heart, in case that is unclear.)
In other words, yes, Bezner is a pastor and yes, this is written in that general style - but it also isn't a book seeking to destroy everything you hold dear so much as gently goad you in areas where maybe you're wrong - or maybe Bezner is.
And I'm not joking when I say no matter your thoughts on Christianity here. Bezner goads the conservatives with his talk of their lily white - or coal black - churches and the need for churches to be more multicultural. Bezner goads the liberals with his insistence that sex is only for straight married couples - and goads everyone with his insistence that more needs to be done to support single adults, no matter their sexual choices. He even manages to goad the Anarchists by *actively citing 1 Samuel* - the very passage where YAHWEH decrees that obedience to an earthly king as a rejection of Himself! - and arguing that earthly kings are necessary, but that a "prophet" is needed to stand outside their court and hold them to account.
If you're looking for a book "taking down" "Christian Nationalism".... this isn't your book, and Bezner never intended it to be. If you're looking for a book that decries *all* politics in the American Church and instead calls for complete separation between the Church and politics... this isn't your book, and Bezner never intended it to be. It is quite clear that he sought to write exactly the kind of book he did - calling Americans of *all* political persuasions and telling them that according to his own beliefs, they're wrong. As with anything else, at that point your mileage absolutely varies. I do believe that we can all gain something from reading this book, but I do NOT believe that Bezner is as correct as he clearly thinks he is.
Ultimately two stars were deducted here. One for the prooftexting, even though it only *blatantly* happened as quotes to begin chapters - I don't really recall seeing it anywhere else. (For those unaware, "prooftexting" is the practice of citing Bible verses out of context in support of some claim or another.) So while not as bad as some others in this space, it is a practice that is an automatic star deduction from me *any* time I see it.
The other star deducted was for the near absolute dearth of any bibliography. While this book was indeed more pastoral in tone, it was still a nonfiction book and should have been cited much more thoroughly than it was - 20-30% bibliography is my general expectation based on my experiences overall, though I'm a bit more willing to come down to 15% as the lower number with more recent (2021 and forward or so) texts seeming to indicate this is a general shift in nonfiction books of this era.
Still, despite the two star deduction here largely on technical matters, this really is a solid book that every American needs to read - perhaps particularly during election seasons.
Very much recommended.
October 7, 2024
I had such high hopes for this book based on the title, but alas the book has fallen short. First off, thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Okay now onto the review...be warned that it may be a bit of a read...with the title of the book I thought that FINALLY someone was going to call out Americans for equating a certain political party to being "Christian" while equating other to the anti-Christ. I thought that we were going to be challenged to keep politics out of the church and instead focus on the actual values of Jesus Christ. While this book does focus on Jesus and his values somewhat, it is not in relation to American nationalism as would be thought by the title. This book was a bit hard to follow and connect what was being said with the main point the author was trying to make. Something that I couldn't stand was the constant denomination naming and name dropping. This author seems obsessed with distinguishing denominations when this book was suppose to be about the values of Jesus which SHOULD transcend denominations since they all read the same Bible. At least one would think, but not in this book. As for the name dropping, it just seems like the author name drops ancient men of the faith, such as Augustine, for no reason at all other than to have their names mentioned in his book. This bothers me so much because while I have knowledge of who these men are, what they believed and what they stood for, someone else might not know and no context is provided in this book. The straw that broke the camel's back though was when the author claimed that prophecy is the same as soothsaying and then decided that he was going to give a brand new definition to the word "prophecy". Ummmm, soothsaying was mentioned in the Bible as something evil while God literally appointed people as HIS prophets in the Old Testament for the purpose of prophecy to the Israelites. To put it plainly, prophecy from God is good while soothsaying is evil, yet this author lumps them together as the same.
All in all, I would steer clear from this book. It is not what the title claims it to be and I would be afraid of it steering someone in the wrong direction. If you want to know what Jesus values, just go straight to the source and read it in the New Testament in the Bible.
All in all, I would steer clear from this book. It is not what the title claims it to be and I would be afraid of it steering someone in the wrong direction. If you want to know what Jesus values, just go straight to the source and read it in the New Testament in the Bible.
October 22, 2024
He did not disappoint. I wish those who bought the lie that the gospel includes social justice would just own it. It would help the reader not have to cringe at all the ways they sneak it in.
While Steve Bezner claims to love his country, it’s clear he is pretty ignorant about it. So how can we value his opinion if he doesn’t really know what America truly is.
He thinks we live in a democratic republic, he thinks the crusades were ended because of the way of peace, and he teaches about race all the time from his pulpit.
I’m confused. He is speaking as a pastor or a just a Christian? As a pastor I would think his main goal would be to disciple his members, not serve the community at large. Through discipleship, the community would be better served with an equipped body who has the capacity for the relationships to be truly impactful. His influence in silencing Christian’s is also sad because in order to not ever get the disapproving level by pastors like Bezner they will self police Instead of stand for righteousness.
You may say that’s not what he meant, but it seems being a social activist is way more important in his understanding of the gospel of the kingdom than actually educating those who follow him that our Constitution was made for a moral AND religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.
It seems notable than his understanding of MLK Jr might reflect how little he knows about what has truly brought us to this place. He said the west will become more selfish. It’s like we live in tow different Americas. One who set its foundation on the word of God and one who likes to chase every social justice idea that waters down the liberty Christ truly offers us
Not surprised, but sad we understand Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s impact so differently.
The gospel of the kingdom will cause division and to pretend you can do it any other way cheapens grace.
While Steve Bezner claims to love his country, it’s clear he is pretty ignorant about it. So how can we value his opinion if he doesn’t really know what America truly is.
He thinks we live in a democratic republic, he thinks the crusades were ended because of the way of peace, and he teaches about race all the time from his pulpit.
I’m confused. He is speaking as a pastor or a just a Christian? As a pastor I would think his main goal would be to disciple his members, not serve the community at large. Through discipleship, the community would be better served with an equipped body who has the capacity for the relationships to be truly impactful. His influence in silencing Christian’s is also sad because in order to not ever get the disapproving level by pastors like Bezner they will self police Instead of stand for righteousness.
You may say that’s not what he meant, but it seems being a social activist is way more important in his understanding of the gospel of the kingdom than actually educating those who follow him that our Constitution was made for a moral AND religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.
It seems notable than his understanding of MLK Jr might reflect how little he knows about what has truly brought us to this place. He said the west will become more selfish. It’s like we live in tow different Americas. One who set its foundation on the word of God and one who likes to chase every social justice idea that waters down the liberty Christ truly offers us
Not surprised, but sad we understand Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s impact so differently.
The gospel of the kingdom will cause division and to pretend you can do it any other way cheapens grace.
December 12, 2024
A Review of the Audiobook
Published in October of 2024 by eChristian.
Read by James R. Cheatham.
Duration: 7 hours, 28 minutes.
Unabridged.
Have you ever listened to someone speak, agreed wholeheartedly with almost everything the person said, but still felt underwhelmed by the presentation?
That's where I am with this book.
Bezner is the pastor of a church in Houston and he discusses how the church needs to stop being a cheerleader for both America and Jesus. Oftentimes, America comes first - especially as churches make political power a priority.
As the title says, Bezner says the church has to return to honoring Kingdom Values over American Values. Bezner is not anti-American, but he does not that American popular culture and American political do not really align with Kingdom Values - and that should be the goal.
He goes on to tell about things he's done wrong in this area of his ministry and things that he believes are working out well now.
Like I said at the outset, I liked what Bezner had to say, but his presentation just was merely okay. The producers of the audiobook made the choice to read the footnotes out loud, including the number of the footnote and every detail of the source. The author includes relevant commentary with his footnotes, so you can't ignore them. Most authors rework footnotes like these into the text. Reading the entire footnote was an odd choice.
I rate this audiobook 3 stars out of 5.
Published in October of 2024 by eChristian.
Read by James R. Cheatham.
Duration: 7 hours, 28 minutes.
Unabridged.
Have you ever listened to someone speak, agreed wholeheartedly with almost everything the person said, but still felt underwhelmed by the presentation?
That's where I am with this book.
Bezner is the pastor of a church in Houston and he discusses how the church needs to stop being a cheerleader for both America and Jesus. Oftentimes, America comes first - especially as churches make political power a priority.
As the title says, Bezner says the church has to return to honoring Kingdom Values over American Values. Bezner is not anti-American, but he does not that American popular culture and American political do not really align with Kingdom Values - and that should be the goal.
He goes on to tell about things he's done wrong in this area of his ministry and things that he believes are working out well now.
Like I said at the outset, I liked what Bezner had to say, but his presentation just was merely okay. The producers of the audiobook made the choice to read the footnotes out loud, including the number of the footnote and every detail of the source. The author includes relevant commentary with his footnotes, so you can't ignore them. Most authors rework footnotes like these into the text. Reading the entire footnote was an odd choice.
I rate this audiobook 3 stars out of 5.
April 15, 2025
I’ve taken a couple weeks to sit with the message of this book since reading it. I think it is so needed for Christian’s to hear the message in this book.
I originally found this book through Beth Moore as she wrote the foreword and she is something I have done many Bible Studies through and have enjoyed her teaching as well as her memoir (All My Knotted Up Life) which is worth the read.
This year I started reading a reading the Bible in a year challenge to reclaim some of the faith I’ve struggled with during the last few years with all the hatred, vitriol and lack of empathy that seems to be running rampant in our world. I decided to take back my faith from those that were weaponizing it in a way I knew was not following the teachings of Jesus.
It has been amazing to see that the readings of the Bible, my church’s sermon series and this book all align in that we need to get back to the true word of God and the work that he asked us to do. Love thy neighbor, feed my people, be my example.
There are people that are trying to distort the teachings of Jesus to gain money, keep power and grow fear so we don’t realize what is happening which is counter to everything we learn in the Bible. We need to stop looking at the other and look for our brothers and sisters and condemn the growing movement of Christian Nationalism which is only hurting not only our faith but our neighbors.
This is a must read.
I originally found this book through Beth Moore as she wrote the foreword and she is something I have done many Bible Studies through and have enjoyed her teaching as well as her memoir (All My Knotted Up Life) which is worth the read.
This year I started reading a reading the Bible in a year challenge to reclaim some of the faith I’ve struggled with during the last few years with all the hatred, vitriol and lack of empathy that seems to be running rampant in our world. I decided to take back my faith from those that were weaponizing it in a way I knew was not following the teachings of Jesus.
It has been amazing to see that the readings of the Bible, my church’s sermon series and this book all align in that we need to get back to the true word of God and the work that he asked us to do. Love thy neighbor, feed my people, be my example.
There are people that are trying to distort the teachings of Jesus to gain money, keep power and grow fear so we don’t realize what is happening which is counter to everything we learn in the Bible. We need to stop looking at the other and look for our brothers and sisters and condemn the growing movement of Christian Nationalism which is only hurting not only our faith but our neighbors.
This is a must read.
November 18, 2024
3.5/5 ⭐️
Bezner provides several beautiful stories of how living out the love of Christ rather than siloing ourselves from those who may have different views, beliefs, cultures, or skin color can lead to presenting the true Jesus to others. As one Muslim woman told him, “If this is the way all Christians acted, everyone would want to be a Christian.” (Not a direct quote, just the way I remember it.)
Don’t get me wrong, his message is much needed in the world & especially this country. The only negatives I saw are more personal than really anything wrong with the book itself. His writing style isn’t exactly the type that grabs my attention so I caught my mind wandering many times & missing parts of what he wrote. Another negative for me is that I have read several books & listened to many podcasts with similar messages over the last couple of years so none of it really seemed earth-shaking or super powerful to me.
Now, if you haven’t read many books like this, you will probably love it & feel very convicted. Having said all of that, his book added fuel to a fire that has been growing in me to do something to make a difference in my community. So, it is a book I recommend to all Christians.
Bezner provides several beautiful stories of how living out the love of Christ rather than siloing ourselves from those who may have different views, beliefs, cultures, or skin color can lead to presenting the true Jesus to others. As one Muslim woman told him, “If this is the way all Christians acted, everyone would want to be a Christian.” (Not a direct quote, just the way I remember it.)
Don’t get me wrong, his message is much needed in the world & especially this country. The only negatives I saw are more personal than really anything wrong with the book itself. His writing style isn’t exactly the type that grabs my attention so I caught my mind wandering many times & missing parts of what he wrote. Another negative for me is that I have read several books & listened to many podcasts with similar messages over the last couple of years so none of it really seemed earth-shaking or super powerful to me.
Now, if you haven’t read many books like this, you will probably love it & feel very convicted. Having said all of that, his book added fuel to a fire that has been growing in me to do something to make a difference in my community. So, it is a book I recommend to all Christians.
November 13, 2024
The main complaint I can see some having is that is not political enough. Don't expect this to be a firm and harsh rejection of trumpism or American civil religion. Those books are needed and they have been written. This is a gentle and pastoral book. It is not written to browbeat and condemn all those people over there doing it wrong. Instead, it is a gentle call to come back to Jesus. The argument is being made positively of how much better the kingdom of God is. Those who want something harsher will be disappointed, but I can see this book actually being persuasive.
Most of the book goes through values of Jesus and how they are different than American values. It is more positively focused on the better way of Christ than the wrong way of the world. He still addresses sexuality, politics, and race. He does so in a way that is clear and firm on traditional Christian teaching without arguing for a particular partisan stance or policy position.
This is written on a popular level and is meant to be enjoyed by the average congregant. I don't typically enjoy popular-level books, but this one was so focused on Jesus that it was hard not to like it.
Most of the book goes through values of Jesus and how they are different than American values. It is more positively focused on the better way of Christ than the wrong way of the world. He still addresses sexuality, politics, and race. He does so in a way that is clear and firm on traditional Christian teaching without arguing for a particular partisan stance or policy position.
This is written on a popular level and is meant to be enjoyed by the average congregant. I don't typically enjoy popular-level books, but this one was so focused on Jesus that it was hard not to like it.
April 24, 2025
Good overview with one annoying flaw
As a Christian, I find my understanding of my faith bolstered when I read books like this. The focus of this one is in how it contrasts the earthly life with a life seeking God’s kingdom. In this sense, the title is a bit misleading. To be clear, there are times when Bezner does address issues that are somewhat unique to the American church. But it’s more global than the title suggests.
It’s not difficult to find books that help Christians think through their faith. This one doesn’t really stand out as extraordinary, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t find it valuable.
My biggest complaint is in Bezner’s extensive use of footnotes. It would be one thing for him to use them to cite sources to refer to later. But he also frequently uses them to expand on a point he is making in the main body of the text. This hurts narrative flow, particularly if you are listening to the audio in addition to or instead of consuming just the text. If Bezner ever does a second edition, I would encourage him to limit footnotes to those that cite sources.
As a Christian, I find my understanding of my faith bolstered when I read books like this. The focus of this one is in how it contrasts the earthly life with a life seeking God’s kingdom. In this sense, the title is a bit misleading. To be clear, there are times when Bezner does address issues that are somewhat unique to the American church. But it’s more global than the title suggests.
It’s not difficult to find books that help Christians think through their faith. This one doesn’t really stand out as extraordinary, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t find it valuable.
My biggest complaint is in Bezner’s extensive use of footnotes. It would be one thing for him to use them to cite sources to refer to later. But he also frequently uses them to expand on a point he is making in the main body of the text. This hurts narrative flow, particularly if you are listening to the audio in addition to or instead of consuming just the text. If Bezner ever does a second edition, I would encourage him to limit footnotes to those that cite sources.
November 29, 2025
I expected this book to discuss Christian Nationalism. Instead, it's a call for American Christians to return to the radical teachings of Christ. This is not a deep theological work but instead some rather simple teachings related to race, politics, suffering, enemies, and poverty. I loved it.
The author's aim: to remind us of the backward and upside-down values of Jesus and to hold them in tension with our American values. ... The church needs to be distinctive again - like it was in its earliest days.
The author wraps things up with this line "Get busy dying so you can get busy helping others live. This is the final great paradox of the kingdom - it promises greater life, but it requires a radical death, a death to ourselves."
Side note - I initially began this as an audio book and while the author's voice was pleasant enough, my attention lacked the fortitude to overcome the reading of footnotes.
The author's aim: to remind us of the backward and upside-down values of Jesus and to hold them in tension with our American values. ... The church needs to be distinctive again - like it was in its earliest days.
The author wraps things up with this line "Get busy dying so you can get busy helping others live. This is the final great paradox of the kingdom - it promises greater life, but it requires a radical death, a death to ourselves."
Side note - I initially began this as an audio book and while the author's voice was pleasant enough, my attention lacked the fortitude to overcome the reading of footnotes.
March 14, 2025
A disappointing book. Well-written at times, but unfortunately, it never lives up to its title. It should be a book for exactly this time in history, but it lacks the courage to really name the and really create a contrast between American values as they are in 2025 and the kingdom, values of Jesus. I’m sorry, but if you are going to write a book with this title, you are going to have to name names and give examples. And the author just won’t do it! On the extremely rare occasion when he does, he leans into a nonsensical both-sides equivocation, throwing out Clarence Thomas’ corruption (justified) and Hunter Biden’s dealings with Ukraine (overly partisan BS).
The rest of the book is Christian fundamentals that run counter to today’s culture, but you have to bring your own interpretation. There’s just no teeth here, and not much depth.
2.5/5.
The rest of the book is Christian fundamentals that run counter to today’s culture, but you have to bring your own interpretation. There’s just no teeth here, and not much depth.
2.5/5.
July 1, 2025
My boyfriend got me this book on a pastoral retreat he was on and he said the cover looked like something I’d be interested in. Little did he know, that now he, along with my pastors and entire family will be forced to read this as well.
This tackled so many topics that are seen as “taboo” and “dangerous” for a church to even consider and it opened my eyes to realize, I’m not the only one who has ever wondered how Jesus would respond to our world. I am also not the first to ask many of the questions that are written in this book.
Especially for a time as this, there are many chapters regarding loving the foreigners and outcasts in our midst, leaning on community, topics of sex and relationships, the beauty in seeing multicultural communities in our church community. Overall, if there were more than 5 stars, I think this book would have it for me.
This tackled so many topics that are seen as “taboo” and “dangerous” for a church to even consider and it opened my eyes to realize, I’m not the only one who has ever wondered how Jesus would respond to our world. I am also not the first to ask many of the questions that are written in this book.
Especially for a time as this, there are many chapters regarding loving the foreigners and outcasts in our midst, leaning on community, topics of sex and relationships, the beauty in seeing multicultural communities in our church community. Overall, if there were more than 5 stars, I think this book would have it for me.
November 27, 2024
I have been looking forward to reading this book, and it has exceeded my expectations. I expected to read about the state of the American church, for better or for worse, and instead was shepherded into the arms of Jesus. This book is not about how to “fix” the church; rather, it is about how we as believers in Jesus should fix our eyes on Him, and what it looks like to live that out in our churches and communities. Steve doesn’t shy away from the church’s weaknesses and failures, nor does he belittle the American dream. What he does is point us back to Jesus as ultimate, and encourages us to seek out His kingdom above our own ideals. This books is full of wisdom, humility, and Jesus. Highly recommend.
August 12, 2025
If you're looking for a Christian book that will call out the right side for their corruption, greed and worshipping of political figures, this isn't the book that will do that. However, Benzer does talk about Christian Nationalism, racism, and how to live generously like Jesus. The focus of the book is living for the kingdom, not for power, money, or earthly gains. There are great points made, and I do wish it had gone more in-depth to call out common political behaviors that do not align with the vision of God. However, it can be a gentle push in the right direction for many right-leaning Christians to see how God truly wants us to live generously, open-minded, and free of judgement of others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2024
Bezner asks questions that I have heard before in other contexts. Having the questions in one book helps to place the answers in a context - a context that provides a framework that takes an honest look at our culture and its impact on how we react to situations like racism, economic inequity and sexual purity.
I did not have substantial changes to my precious reactions to the topics that were brought up. Looking at the issues in the context of each other and in the context of my religious subculture provides a nuance that I had been missing. I enjoyed the book and look forward to suggesting the title and author to others.
I did not have substantial changes to my precious reactions to the topics that were brought up. Looking at the issues in the context of each other and in the context of my religious subculture provides a nuance that I had been missing. I enjoyed the book and look forward to suggesting the title and author to others.
December 18, 2024
This book was interesting. The subtitle really spoke to me: Calling the Church to Reclaim Kingdom Values over the American Dream. I felt that was more what the book was about than the actual title: Your Jesus is Too American. I liked how he used the Sermon on the Mount in comparison to American culture and society. I skimmed a bit of this book, but I did find some truth in it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
January 26, 2026
Another pastor trying to convince professing Christians, very delicately, that following Jesus and practicing basic tenets of the Christian faith should be important and shape your identity. He writes about how that can be difficult for people shaped by the American dream, which is the audience he’s writing for. He seems like a good pastor that’s trying to love his congregation well. Overall I didn’t feel like the book differentiated itself enough from others to warrant more of a recommendation.
November 7, 2024
Rather than a look at political idolatry in America, as the title may imply, this book is a look through Jesus' teachings as they relate to Western values. The author does a good job of highlighting how our values on money, sex, suffering, etc. must differ from the cultural norms around us. A good, if not groundbreaking, reminder.
February 12, 2025
This work is a manifesto of sorts, but I do not think I was Bezner’s target audience. Maybe consider this work similar to John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way, but for people who might trust the scriptures more. Good message, but would’ve been a great article (chapter on suffering, though, redeemed my experience).
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