Why is Christianity so hard? It’s not. Not if you’re all in. What I’ve found in myself and observing others is that if you live your life for yourself, you’ll experience a certain level of comfort, or, if not comfort, then at least some measure of self gratification. But if you give yourself completely to Christ, you’ll experience an abundant life–the best life possible. It’s when you or I are in between that it gets hard.
Jesus said the Christian life is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14), but he never said it’s hard. In fact he said it’s easy. (Matthew 11:28-30) The thing is, it doesn’t become easy until you’re all in. Jesus said he came so we could have a rich abundant life (John 10:10), but you and I won’t experience that rich abundant life unless we connect with Christ to the fullest extent we can.
I think many Christians today find Christianity hard because they’re not disciples. It might seem like a paradox but the deeper you go in Christ, the richer and more abundant your life becomes. You love God more. You grow more. You love people more. And you also lose yourself, and that part can be scary. You lose yourself because your focus turns away from you and toward loving God and loving people. That idea can be frightening. It’s frightening because we don’t want to let go of ourselves. We fear losing the self-life. But if you ever have the courage to try it, if you ever find the courage to just plunge into Jesus Christ and become a real follower of him and his words, you’ll discover what many have discovered before you:
Intimacy with Jesus results in the best life possible.
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” -Jesus Christ, Matthew 16:25
Lose yourself in Jesus Christ, and see what happens to your life.
[Image via Pictoscribe – Creative Commons]
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Senna Part 2–Teach us to number our days: Psalm 90:12
From the archives, one of our most popular posts.
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Posted on April 5, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary
Why is Christianity so Difficult?
Jesus said the Christian life is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14), but he never said it’s hard. In fact he said it’s easy. (Matthew 11:28-30) The thing is, it doesn’t become easy until you’re all in. Jesus said he came so we could have a rich abundant life (John 10:10), but you and I won’t experience that rich abundant life unless we connect with Christ to the fullest extent we can.
I think many Christians today find Christianity hard because they’re not disciples. It might seem like a paradox but the deeper you go in Christ, the richer and more abundant your life becomes. You love God more. You grow more. You love people more. And you also lose yourself, and that part can be scary. You lose yourself because your focus turns away from you and toward loving God and loving people. That idea can be frightening. It’s frightening because we don’t want to let go of ourselves. We fear losing the self-life. But if you ever have the courage to try it, if you ever find the courage to just plunge into Jesus Christ and become a real follower of him and his words, you’ll discover what many have discovered before you:
Intimacy with Jesus results in the best life possible.
Lose yourself in Jesus Christ, and see what happens to your life.
[Image via Pictoscribe – Creative Commons]
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Posted on March 29, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
Christian, Christianity easy, Christianity hard, Surrender Yourself to God, why is Christianity so hard
The Answer to Proverbs 4:7 + 1 Corinthians 1:24 = X
Last post I asked you to solve the equation: Proverbs 4:7 + 1 Corinthians 1:24 = X
We had some great responses to this equation in the comments section. In this post I’ll share my own solution. (If this is your first time seeing this equation, and you want to solve it yourself, stop now and look up the Proverbs 4:7 and 1 Corinthians 1:24)
Bible Verse Equation Answer
Proverbs 4:7 says, “Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” (NIV) And the same verse in the King James version says, “Wisdom is the principal thing.”
1 Corinthians 1:24 says that Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God.
So from those scriptures I come to this solution: Proverbs 4:7 + 1 Corinthians 1:24 =
Jesus Christ is the principal thing. Get Jesus. Though it cost all you have, get Jesus.
[Image via Johannes Winger-Lang – Creative Commons]
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Posted on March 22, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
1 Corinthians 1:24, bible-verse-equation-answer-Proverbs-4:7 1-Corinthians-1:24, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Proverbs 4:7, the wisdom of God, wisdom
Solve This Equation
Solve this equation: Proverbs 4:7 + 1 Corinthians 1:24 = X
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Posted on March 15, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study
1 Corinthians 1:24, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Proverbs 4:7, the wisdom of God, wisdom
Where Wisdom is Given Abundantly and for Free
You know that guy who’s intimidating. The one who makes you feel like he’s unapproachable. Maybe at some point he had information you needed, but you didn’t ask him for it did you? You didn’t ask him for it because you were afraid he’d come down on you if you did.
Well God won’t respond like that.
I’ve read James 1:5 at least a dozen times, but I never saw it until this morning. What it says is that God will never come down on you when you ask Him for wisdom.
So ask Him.
God was pleased when Solomon asked for wisdom. He’ll be pleased when you do too.
[Image via walknboston – Creative Commons]
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Posted on March 12, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study
1 Kings 3, Bible, God wisdom, James 1:5, prayer, wisdom
Why is Christianity So Restrictive?
Bow Shock Around LL Orionis – Hubble Telescope Image
The Bible Says No, and Obnoxious Christians
I understand. You don’t see why people shouldn’t be allowed to have sex before getting married. And there’s plenty of other restrictions in the Bible that don’t make sense to you either. And that Christian guy you know who prays that God will help him beat the next level of Candy Crush, and the Christian lady who has the bumper sticker that says, “After the rapture, you’ll wish your car had a Christian bumper sticker,” well–they are really obnoxious about what the Bible says not to do. And there’s no logic to some of it. It doesn’t make sense. It’s just too restrictive.
What if God Thinks Like This? Read More
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Posted on March 8, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
Objections to Christianity, Why is Christianity so narrow, Why is Christianity so restrictive, Why is the Bible against, Why is the Bible so judgmental
RC Sproul on Truth and the Age of the Earth
So R.C. Sproul stands in front of a seminary class and asks the question, “How many of you believe God’s revelation in scripture is infallible?” They all raised their hand.
Then he asked, “Well how many of you believe God’s revelation in nature is infallible?” Nobody raised their hand. “How can that be?” Sproul asks. “It’s the same God giving the revelation.”
All truth is God’s truth.
You might want to check out the video. Sproul says it so much better than I can.
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Posted on March 6, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
age of the earth, Christianity, creationism, R.C. Sproul, science and the Bible, Sproul, young earth
Profile of a Doubter: Genuine Seeker (Part 9)
Let’s Also Go, So We Can Die With Him
So you’re a doubter. Or maybe you know someone who is. You might be interested to hear the story of a doubter in the Bible.
Here’s the scene: The Jews tried to kill Jesus in Judea near Jerusalem. So Jesus is hanging with his disciples a safe distance away in the area of Jericho. It’s then that Jesus hears about his good friend coming down with a fatal illness. People are begging him to come and help because things have gotten to the point where he’s the only possible solution. The only problem is Jesus’ friend has fallen ill near Jerusalem. So if Jesus goes to help, he’ll have to return to the same area where the Jews just tried to assassinate him. But Jesus says, without any apparent concern, “Let’s go there again.”
The disciples react, they say, “The Jews just tried to stone you, and you’re going there again?”
And it’s at this point that Thomas, commonly known as “Doubting Thomas,” says something amazing. He says, Read More
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Posted on March 1, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
Christianity, Doubt, Doubting Thomas, Is Jesus real, Profile of a Doubter, why do I doubt
Charles Manson, Books, and Christ: Genuine Seeker (Part 8)
The Book That Changed The Lives of Charles Manson and Warren Buffett
Before he became a mass murderer, Charles Manson was in prison for grand theft auto. He needed something to do to pass the time so he took courses based on a book. The book showed him how to get people to do what you want (even if it’s a heinous act of bloodshed) by convincing them it was their own idea. Lee Iacocca credits the same book for launching his career. So does Lyndon B. Johnson. So does Warren Buffett. A psychopath, a president, and one of the richest men in the world: they all say their lives were changed dramatically, by the same book. Read More
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Posted on February 22, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Seeker
Christianity, faith and doubt, how do I become a Christian, Jesus Christ, why do I doubt, Why do I doubt God, Why do I doubt Jesus
The Angry Crowd, Freakonomics, and Doubt: Genuine Seeker (Part 7)
The Angry Crowd (This Really Happened)
Imagine you’re sitting in class with thirty-five other people on a Friday. It’s late afternoon and before your instructor dismisses you and your fellow students, he makes an announcement. He warns everyone to avoid downtown this weekend, because there’s a large (we’re talking hundreds of thousands) pro-life demonstration occurring there.
But just as soon as he says the words “pro-life,” there’s an overwhelming eruption in the classroom. It seems every student stands up from their chair and jeers and boos and hollers against the pro-lifers. You’re new to the group and their reaction takes you completely off guard. You’re shaken–because you’re pro-life.
From the moment the class booed and hissed at the notion of a pro-life demonstration, it felt almost impossible for you or anyone else to voice a pro-life point of view. The derision in the room was palpable.
Like most people, you like to think of yourself as independent and unconstrained by the thinking of people around you. But you’re sitting next to a good friend who knows you’re pro-life. And in the moments following the contemptuous crowd reaction you find yourself hoping he doesn’t say anything to tip off your sentiments. Read More
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Posted on February 15, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young, Seeker, Suffering
apologetics, Christian living, Christianity, Faith, Is Jesus real, peer pressure, social norm, why do I doubt
You’re Young; Profit by My Sincere Confession
I couldn’t possibly say it better than he did.
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Posted on February 14, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young
God's presence, love God, love God Brother Lawrence, Surrender Yourself to God, The practice of the presence of God
Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham, Evolution, and Doubt: Genuine Seeker (Part 6)
Doubt and Evolution
I know it bothers some Christians that some of their fellow followers of Christ don’t believe in evolution. They’re embarrassed. They hear the new atheists in the media dogmatically insisting that if you’re a Christian who doesn’t believe in evolution you are delusional, or imbecilic, or loathsome. Richard Dawkins and other new atheists encourage people to ridicule and mock those who disagree with their views. (Hamilton, Dawkins: Mock Them. Ridicule Them. In Public. With Contempt.) Unfortunately that approach has trickled down to too many people. The result is some Christians hear disparaging comments from friends or coworkers who have been influenced by Dawkins and other new atheists–and they feel intimidated.
Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham Read More
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Posted on February 8, 2014 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis, Seeker
bill nye, Bill Nye Ken Ham Evolution Doubt, Christian evolutionist, Christianity, creationism, Evolution, Jack Akin, ken ham, modern creation science, richard dawkins
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