Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Chapter 10: This Is Not Working for Me

A NOTHER RESULT OF the SLIM life is that it leaves people feeling unfulfilled.

One reason for this is that church life is a complicated web of social taboos and lingo that make it difficult for newcomers to penetrate. 60 Church culture can be difficult to grasp. What people need is a simple, bottom-line, easy-to-understand philosophy of life. Instead, they are introduced to a dizzying array of ideas, delivered through books and media, each vying for their attention. Every option must be evaluated for its relative usefulness to the individual’s walk with God, in order to discover “God’s plan for their life.” They are promised that God has a “prosperous future and a hope” for them, but the pressure is on to find their personal gifts, their call, and their place in life. Without this discovery, they fear life will not be fulfilling. But there are so many competing voices, so many choices, so many opportunities, that it is nearly impossible to make sense of it all. When the Self becomes the SUBJECT , it overwhelms most people. They are left to navigate their own spirituality. They feel alone. By contrast, an EPIC approach, with Christ and his Kingdom at the center, provides a clean and simple way to incorporate new believers amongst the cacophony of competing voices. Theology becomes a means of knowing the person of Jesus Christ, not fulfilling one’s life.

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