Our Reflection In the World

The Barna Group has released a new study that concludes Christians reflect the self-righteousness of the Pharisees to the world far more than they do the love and life of Jesus. (Click image at left to see the results of the study.) While that may be a shock to some, it is clear that religious performance in self-righteousness or even in trying to get our prayers answered, actually makes us less like Jesus. In the backdrop of his three-week trip to Australia, Wayne discusses this study and what it demonstrates about the need for heart transformation that changes the way we think about God and how we live in the world. What we reflect is not usually the result of our projects or meetings, but how we treat people in the world with whom we come in contact.

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Enlargement of above photo
The Barna Study: Are Christians More Like Jesus or More Like Pharisees?
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6 Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing your heart with all of us, Pharisees included. We can be TRANSFORMED by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Barna Study was too revealing sad to say. May GOD continue to soften our hardened hearts to see His plan to bring all to repentance in His time. Love you Brother. And Happy Late Birthday! 60+ is a blast!

  2. “Being in the world as God has called me to be.” I love that and that’s the way I enjoy living.

  3. Just a quick note to share along with the others how much I enjoyed this podcast. “Our effort is still part of the flesh”…appreciated that statement so much. It has helped to “unpack” some of what Paul wrote over and over. This is so freeing in the sense it’s not trying to theologically understand Paul…rather it’s a growing deeper awareness that my striving and hard work (which I originally thought of as good) is actually the problem! I never realized the time involved in learning to lay that down. May we drink deeply of Jesus’ life and learn from Him : )

  4. Thanks Wayne, great podcast. Love the birds at the start!!
    Lots of food for thought.
    I’m a claim it, rebuke it kind of guy. I resist anything that seems dodgy, and think there’s definitely a place for ‘speaking to mountains’. I know you believe that too, but I had never seen that it can become a ‘work’, seperate to the work of the Spirit.
    But you’re right, we can reduce these things to priciples or formulas that don’t require a relationship with God at all.
    Romans 8 says we can’t even pray without the Holy Spirit’s help.
    I suppose as long as we’ve got Him showing us and leading us as to what we should be rebuking, or resisting, or what mountain we should be speaking to and how, then we’re on safe ground.

    Thanks

  5. A sad, sobering study, but it doesn’t suprise me. I thank Father that he is changing my heart little by little away from the attitudes of the Pharisees through the attitudes of Jesus and (by the grace of God) into the actions of Jesus one day. But it really doesn’t have to be one day; it can be whoever Father puts in my path today.

    I guess my friend who died from cancer a few years ago didn’t perform the “right” prayer or have enough faith. And my other friend who died tragically as a result of mixing a prescription drug with alcohol probably never was “saved” to begin with. [How to indicate hints of sarcasm when typing?!] Thank you for reminding me that my struggle with how and how often to pray for something is less about me than what I had learned to believe.

    I had to pause the podcast at the point you mentioned the passing of Brennan Manning. My heart & eyes became sad as I hadn’t learned this yet. I am 1/2 way through the Ragamuffin Gospel, and though it is his first work I have read, I feel already a kindred spirit with him & that I have lost a friend. For those of you who may be interested, you can find a tribute to him here: http://brennanmanning.com/. I am so glad I will meet him one day as he is fast becoming one of my favorite mentors.

    I love this journey I’m on with all of you.

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