9 Common Lies Christians Believe: And Why God's Truth Is Infinitely Better

by Shane Pruitt

Maybe God isn't who you think He is. Maybe He's much better. Pastor and speaker Shane Pruitt guides readers in identifying the Christian cliches we've all heard that are actually unbiblical lies. He then counters with the truths about God as presented in the Bible, truths that bring encouragement and freedom for our lives.God won't give you more than you can handle. Really? Pastor and speaker Shane Pruitt shines a light on this and other Christian cliches that upon further inspection are actually unbiblical lies that keep far too many believers stuck in spiritual immaturity.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Christian Non Fiction

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 19, 2019

Reviews

[Shane Pruitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such a joy to write this book. I'm praying that God will be gloried and lives impacted through it.

[Winnie Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so grateful for this book. Punchy, easy to read, and packed with beautiful truth. As the title promises, Shane Pruitt tackles nine common lies that Christians believe:

1) "God won't give me more than I can handle." LIE! God will always give you more than you can handle. All of life is more than you can handle. But He won't give you more than He can handle through you.

2) "God gained another angel." LIE! God did not turn your loved one into an angel when they passed away. Instead, He called a worshipper home to rest as a son of God.

3) "God just wants me to be happy." LIE! This lie is often an excuse for horrible sin. But happiness is not our highest and best use. God has planned for us joy, real joy---so much better than our own petty, selfish, phony "happiness."

4) "I could never forgive that person." LIE! God has forgiven you everything, and if you rejoice in this forgiveness, you can forgive anything. Forgiveness comes from God, not us.

5) "Follow your heart." LIE! Your heart is the worst guide ever. Your feelings change based on the weather, the traffic, what you had for breakfast, and what people say to you. Your heart is the last thing you should follow. "Our hearts were never designed to be gods in whom we believe. No, they were designed to below in God" (118).

6) "God doesn't really care." LIE! God isn't like us. He isn't fickle or conditional with His love. "He is always there. There is never a reason to run from Him, hide from Him, or try to escape Him. Wherever you run, He is already there waiting. If you try to escape Him, He is where you were, and He is where you're going. He can't forget you because He's right beside you.... He is greater than your feelings.... He chose you long before you ever had an opportunity to choose Him. He loves you. He wants you. He remembers you" (127-31).

7) "Well, ____ will never change." LIE! If you believe that someone in your life will never change (never believe, never repent, never confess, never forgive), then it's time for YOU to be the one who changes. Don't focus on the impossible person, focus on the God of the impossible. Be the kind and merciful father who welcomed home the prodigal son, not the older brother who despised all the grace he'd been given.

8) "I don't think God likes me." LIE! Working really hard to get God to like you is a fruit of self-righteousness. The harder you try, the faster you'll spin into either the ditch of arrogance or the ditch of burnout. Don't try to get God to like you. He already does. He loves you more than you know. Believe it, rest, and be grateful. "Don't settle until you settle in the depths of the Father's love for you. And there you will discover that, yes, the Father is very fond of you" (180).

9) "Believe in yourself." LIE! "One of your greatest enemies is yourself. No one has misled you more than you've misled yourself. No one has lied to you more than you've lied to yourself." Why would you ever believe in a person like that?? The only reason you want to believe in yourself is because you like the sensation of being in control, but you aren't. You were made to believe in the King who sits on His throne, who never gets worried or has bad days. Surrender it all to Him.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Though, I admit, I already agree with about half of what the author was saying before I started, so I could just be a biased reader. However, the author isn't stating anything that I would see as overly radical and he seems to be very Biblical in what he is saying. I'm not a Biblical scholar by any stretch, but the usage of the Word to highlight his points and his personal anecdotes, especially those embarrassing to him, did make what he was saying that much more powerful.

The nine common lies, author's suggested lies, my thoughts in parenthesis. I separated my thoughts from the book, so if my thoughts are found to be faulty, it won't be blamed on the author.

1) God won't give you more than you can handle. (I already knew this was BS. Why need Him if you can handle it all on your own? We need Him in order to handle anything. Also, I would go the step further to say that God isn't the one giving us the negative things in our lives. I 100% do not believe that God gives anyone cancer or other horrible things. If He loves us, He wouldn't do that to us. I believe He will walk with us and give us the strength we need to handle it. But that is my personal belief, not what this book is saying at all.)

2) God gained another angel. (Again, I already knew this was BS. We aren't angels, we are humans and when we die, we don't turn into angels.)

3) God just wants me to be happy. (This one I am sad to say I never questioned, though upon careful thought, it is obvious BS. God doesn't want us to be unhappy, but He wants us to be joyful in Him. Besides, being happy is usually just being selfish and only thinking of myself. I've done that before and honestly? Trying to be happy usually just ends up making me feel lousy. I rather try it His way.)

4) I could never forgive that person. (This is a tough one, but I've known it to be BS for the longest time. Holding a grudge and not forgiving usually ends up hurting me, while the one I'm angry at just lives their life without feeling a darn thing. Not worth it. HARD to forgive, not saying it's easy, but with God it's easier.)

5) Follow your heart. (This one seems to me to be very close to number 3, God just wants me to be happy. Also a statement I tended to agree with, until this book and further thought.)

6) God doesn't really care. (I never believed that God doesn't care. If He didn't care, then why bother going through all of the trouble to create us and then have Jesus sacrifice Himself so we wouldn't all go some place we rather not? However, I am sure there are people out there that DO believe this, so this section of the book has much merit. God does care. It may not always feel like it, but He does.)

7) Well, (insert name here) will never change. (This was one that I will need to have repeated to me over and over and over again. Forgiveness is one thing, but praying for that person is something that should go hand in hand with that and I am sadly lacking in that part of it. People can change. Even if we never see it, that doesn't mean it won't happen. With God, anything is possible. I needed this portion of the book badly and am so glad that I read it.

8) I don't think God likes me. (This is similar to number 6, God not caring. Also, the author never completed the story of the youth who talked to him about God not liking him much. I wish we could have heard his response to the youth, unless the rest of the chapter was his response? I read an ARC, so maybe the finished copy has more on that story. It would be interesting to read.)

9) Believe in yourself. (Similar to numbers 3 and 5 IMHO.)

Some of the lies listed in the book seemed to be to be a tad on the repetitious side, just worded differently. Though to be fair, we humans tend to go through all sorts of twists and contortions to rationalize our bad behavior. "I'm just following my heart!" "God just wants me to be happy!" "I believe in myself!" All sort of the same, but easy to jump from one to the next if one is shown to not be so true or good for us to believe.

This book was a very good read for me. I am incredibly glad that I read it and will be ordering a hard copy for at least myself, if not others, at my store. 4.5 stars, rounded down to 4, though with the option to round up on future re-readings.

My thanks to NetGalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[Keith Gandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great wake-up call to common myths that even though they are untruths - that guide our thinking and lives. I recommend this for every person that truly desires to be the counter culture Christ calls us to be (Rom. 12:1-2)

[Kerry Lofton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of simple. Not necessarily a bad thing but the the author didn’t really present any different insights that one would look for in a book or unique perspectives. The stories were somewhat interesting but honestly
It read more like a tract and felt very surface level. Did truly enjoy the insights in the chapter about “God not liking me” and thought that was interesting but the rest of the book just never got as interesting as I hoped

[Chris Harrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book and was a refreshing read.

I went into this book expecting it to be the author basically addressing each statement and then going on his mission to prove it wrong by referencing as much Scripture as possible. But I was pleasantly surprised how he graciously and realistically went through each lie and showed the emptiness of it, while showing the beauty and joy we get from truth coming from the Bible, even if it's difficult.

[Haylie Addison · Rating 5 out of 5]

As believers, it's crucial to stay grounded in the truth and not be swayed by falsehoods. Pruitt effectively counters these prevalent deceptions with scriptural evidence and illuminates the radiant truth. Additionally, he showcases firsthand accounts from those he's talked with to reinforce the lack of validity in these common lies.

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is challenging in a very good way. It took me a long time to read it because it took me time to understand and process the ideas in it. It’s one of those longer journeys that is so worthwhile. This is one of those books that can be just as helpful to you whether you have walked with Christ for a day or 50 years. If you’ve been feeling stuck or like your walk with the Lord is missing something, this book may help you find your way. Like a good atlas, each chapter of this book guides you into the Bible, helping you untie the knots caused by poor theology presented by some popular speakers over the past 20 years or so. I’m sure I will revisit this book often as I explore deeper layers of understanding with some of the ideas it presents.

[🪴jess]

Shane Pruitt is actually so wise! I loved reading his commentary on 9 lies Christians believe! It was short, sweet, to the point, and mostly utilized scripture to combat lies without over-embellishing (I really enjoyed that aspect of it too). I also loved that Shane wrote in questions at the end of each chapter for a little bible study. It was truly so helpful!

I highly recommend every Christian read this, because while the subjects may be simple and you might already know them, Shane takes you deeper with scripture to truly understand them.

A great time! I can see myself going back to this book many many times in the future.

[Brandie Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its so easy to look at the lies brought up in the book and think that it's not something that applies to your life but as you dive into the chapters, you realize how many lies you have either once believed or still hold on to as true! One truth bomb that was laid out and so convicting was "the ultimate reason we want God to like us is because we think if He likes us, He will do what we want Him to do." This is a good read easy to understand and I was able to see the personal application. The examples were great and helped to illustrate the concept. I enjoyed this! There are plenty of funny moments (the boxing incident was hilarious) to lighten what could easily be heavy subject matter.

[Barbara Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ready more than ready to read and soak up this great book...raw and relevant..should be a great 'door-opener" to engaging the culture without all the corporate and Christian lingo we use as Believers way too often.

[Whitney Hopperton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoy the content from this author. This book would be helpful for a younger believer or for mentoring relationships. Highly recommend for students as well. For our context and setting of a women’s bible study group, it wasn’t the best fit. (In my opinion). I Can see why we need this kind of content in a world full of lies and distortion of the truth. I highly encourage anyone to read and know the Bible and what it says so you can spot the lies in our culture.

[Sharyn Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy to review. Christians, read this book! Deep truths are shared in a conversational, very readable voice, full of personal examples and scripture references. The chapter on forgiveness itself is worth the price of the book! So many times we say things, or believe things, just because we’ve always heard them. We don’t stop to look for the truth (or lack there of) in the Christian-ese that flows readily around us. This book takes words and phrases that many Christians have grown to accept as truth and shows us what the Bible actually teaches about these things. This is a great book for new believers as well as for those who have walked with Him for a long while, as either new truths or reminders of lessons previously learned. It will help everyone grow in faith. With the questions at the end of each chapter, I think it would also make a great small group study and be a good initiator of discussion and personal sharing. I highly recommend this book. Oh, and I will be praying for Titus and his loving family.

[Obadiah Dalrymple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christians who are well-versed in their Bible will not go to this book to have their minds stretched, but this book can help individuals who have a cursory understanding of Christianity and might easily identify cultural clichés as Godly wisdom. As such, the message is simple, but great—in that it is Biblical truth. The reading level is for teenagers, so adults who like to read might feel it is a bit simplistic. The audible version was honestly not very polished (I would rate that portion a 2-3*), but you could really hear Shane’s heart in it. He seems like a good man with a great message. I would recommend this to teenagers or to individuals who have only experienced cultural Christianity and are not grounded in Scripture—besides, of course, recommending that they read the Bible.

[Lori Keeton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent ladies’ summer Bible study. Each chapter or lie was very well explained and biblically proven to be so much less than the truth. The topics make for thoughtful, in depth discussions.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lies hinder our spiritual maturity, because we’re not walking in the truth. They affect our thinking and actions because we’ve forgotten what the Bible teaches about the character of our God. Some things we believe that are not scriptural at all, because they’re cultural teachings, spiritual sounding clichés that snuck into the church, got baptized, and then joined the ranks of truth.
Shane Pruitt says, “Often when we believe or regurgitate the statement, “God won’t give you more than you can handle” really what we’re saying, is that we don’t want more than what we believe we can handle. If we’re honest, we often make plans that make us comfortable, and we want God to bless those plans and stay inside those boundaries. God hardly ever operates that way. He often gives us more than we can handle so that we’ll seek him for help and guidance. First of all, This statement cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. Most people who say it claim its because they’ve heard others say it. But as far as something God actually said? Nope.
John 17:3. This is the greatest news of the gospel. You get God. You get to behold him, experience him, have his spirit live inside you! Fruit is a symbol of character. The fruit of the Spirit is characteristics that should naturally flow out of Christians lives when they have God inside them. How do I know? Well, the fruit should be evident in your life. Ask another Christian. Is it evident? One of the distinct markers is joy, not worldly happiness from favorable circumstances.
Isn’t it sad? If God is good all the time then, Will you tell your face that? Because you look absolutely miserable. Nothing is more confusing to the world than for gOd’s people to say they have joy in their hearts with misery on their faces. Maybe not a smile, but our countenance should reflect a trust in God’s goodness.
If/then theology. If I do certain things for God, then He should do certain things for me. If I work hard to please him, then He’ll work hard to please me. If God doesn’t keep his end of the bargain, I’ll walk away. Self-righteousness is tough. The Bible teaches freedom in the life of God.
Christianity is the opposite of every world religion.
When we think we’re at our strongest, we will by default depend on ourselves. When you’re depending on yourself, you’ll never have the strength to deal with the hardships that life throws your way. However, when you’re utterly dependent on the Lord, you will stand strong in the midst of storms because you’re standing on the rock, Jesus. You’re at your best when you’re most dependent on God. The power of Christ is most visible in you, when you’re able to be faithful in spite of sicknesses, trials, troubles, circumstances.

[Ian Minielly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contained a number of examples a pastor could use as sermon illustrations. The book also contained a number of cultural lies people believe and then discussed why they were/are wrong with biblical reasons. The problem I had with the book was the author seemed to have one foot in Reformed Theology and one foot in God's love and sacrifice is sufficient for all. The author stumbles where his calvinistic beliefs butt up against scriptural teaching and he tries to have it both ways. At times he made great arguments for faith and trust in Jesus and all being able, but he also spent what seemed like 20 pages in the middle of the book going off on utter depravity and inability, which does not jive with what else he wrote.

The book would have been better if he could stay consistent one way or the other. I am unlikely to share or recommend the book to anyone outside of the pastorate as I think they would be more confused than helped. It does have some great stories and Pruitt is a good writer. His theology is just inconsistent.

[JJ Rosales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read. For the older believer, this is a great tool. For the newer believer, please read this book. For anyone curious as to why these are lies, please read this book.

Shane does a great job at explaining the lies, the context of them, how they are in fact lies and also the beauty of the Gospel in truth. Shane doesn’t just say they are lies and give countless verses as to why like an information session. He essentially gives the lie and has a conversation as to why it is lie, if this book were a conversation, it would be filled with questions to understand rather than comments to demand understanding.

Shane does an incredible job of explaining with grace. No matter where you are with your walk with Christ, this is a must read.

[Hattie Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting linguistic study about the way we use phrases without actually thinking about the deeper meaning or false truth to them. Our "Christianese" cultural language seems innocent at surface but really doesn't point us to helpful thoughts about God or truths about who we are in Him.
Sometimes we don't even really believe the phrase, or when confronted we like to believe we don't believe things like "that person can never change" ....yet it still slips out of our mouth. I recommend this book if you're interested to pause and consider the words we use and the truths actually behind them.

[Innessa Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was between 3.5 and 4 stars.
Overall, I think this was a good read for me, and I’m glad I picked it up. The author is very personable, and the writing is simple enough for people of different spiritual levels and backgrounds to be able to relate to.

My biggest draw back-
In my opinion, a good piece of writing is determined by how well it can stand the test of time. This book felt like it was trying to be trendy and hip, but a little behind schedule. It felt aged. Too many references to pop culture that I either had to think harder than necessarily about, or went over my head because they are from before my time. Although if I’m not mistaken this book was published in 2019.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an age of bumper-sticker sayings that certainly sound Christian, not all are Christian. Shane tackles 9 of the biggest cliches in American culture that have led folks astray and not directed people to Christ but rather, to themselves. This is a timely word that goes back to Scripture to examine these sayings to determine their veracity. Another benefit of this book is that it's very easy to read; there are not $25 dollar "seminary" terms here to wade through. I fully recommend this book to both Christians and non-Christians alike. (So much so that I have multiple copies now to give to friends and family)

[Colyn Sevario · Rating 4 out of 5]

I taught this book as a part of Sunday morning lessons to a group of 6th grade boys. Some of the lies brought better discussion than others, but I would certainly say that the students learned more about the Gospel through the lessons!

The lessons that brought the least discussions were due to repetitive questions/answers. Some topics had overlap that killed conversation rather than fostering additional conversation.

[Sway · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book with lots of good examples. This book is filled with so much emotion. You can definitely see the heart shane put into it. Honestly this book gives you the opportunity to seek out God in any emotional state it helps you understand the truths in it. I definitely recommend checking it out!!

[Nicole Brockwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shane was a guest speaker at a camp in NC this year and I heard phenomenal things about him so I grabbed his book. This book is spot on and would be incredibly helpful for a new believer or someone young in their faith. Shane’s ways of storytelling is captivating so the material never comes across as dry. Definitely recommend!

[Vicki Quisenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking

Shane does an excellent job of taking many saying we cling to as Christians for comfort and shows us what we really need to believe in. I found that I have spent to much time being concerned about superficial things when my heart and mind should have been centered on my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

[Dr. Steve Pollock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing

Awesome book. Would have helped me as a dad and youth mentor many years ago, but will and is helping me now with our grandkids! Keep writing and pointing folks back to the Word. Keep it simple.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I had never really thought about these "sayings" and considered the true meaning of them. This really hit home with me and made me think. Love the references to verses and what you should say/think instead of the "lie" at the end of each chapter.

[Robert Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for every Christ follower! It’s a reminder to stay true to what is actually taught in the Bible vs listening to the words of the world. It’s so impactful we are planning to use it as a Home group study.

[Anthony McGaffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great study book to read with a group. Each lie/chapter comes with a handful of questions that will really push and press into you! Great stories along with biblical evidence to support. Highly recommend reading this with a group and discussing each chapter along with the questions!

[Frederick R Ward · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not Convinced

There are many, many more lies in which religious people believe in order to justify their inadequacy to achieve things on their own. Let God tell us what to do and what is right is contrary to rational thought.