Feb. 11, 2025
Why I Stopped Trying to Be a Good Christian
This week, Adam shares his story—years of fear and chasing the impossible standard of "perfection", until the weight of legalism and religious control led him to question everything. We discuss the pressure to be "good" in church culture, deconstruction, and what happens when we stop trying to earn God's love and discover the truth of grace and the gospel.
Topics we discuss:
- Embracing authenticity over perfection
- How questioning can lead to growth
- The emotional side of faith
- The impact of spiritual disciplines
Chapters
- (00:00) - Intro
- (03:34) - Pragmatic INTJ vs. Theoretical INTP
- (05:50) - The power of stories
- (07:58) - Trying to be good enough
- (10:15) - Struggles with legalism and ministry
- (16:18) - Courtship and along came a girl
- (20:35) - Transition to Bible College
- (22:43) - Struggles with faith and ministry
- (24:11) - Intellectual curiosity and doubting motivations
- (26:02) - Disillusionment
- (28:29) - Major life changes
- (35:41) - Turning point - rediscovering grace
- (41:46) - The power of spiritual disciplines
- (45:42) - God's relentless grace
Links
- Dude, Where's My Car?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dude,_Where%27s_My_Car%3F
- Lonesome Dove: https://www.amazon.com/Lonesome-Dove-Novel-Larry-McMurtry/dp/1439195269
- Stephen King: https://stephenking.com
- Bill Gothard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gothard
- I Kissed Dating Goodbye: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Kissed_Dating_Goodbye
- Tullian Tchividjian: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tullian_Tchividjian
- John MacArthur: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_MacArthur_(American_pastor)
- Myers Briggs: https://www.myersbriggs.org/
- Enneagram: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
- John Calvin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin
- Tim Keller: https://timothykeller.com/
Connect with Adam
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avclark
Connect with Aaron
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromgreytown
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