{"id":3125,"date":"2013-10-04T13:52:42","date_gmt":"2013-10-04T10:52:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/?p=3125"},"modified":"2013-11-08T01:20:09","modified_gmt":"2013-11-07T23:20:09","slug":"5-reasons-you-need-to-read-jesus-religion-by-jefferson-bethke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/5-reasons-you-need-to-read-jesus-religion-by-jefferson-bethke\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons You Need to Read Jesus > Religion by Jefferson Bethke"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Every once in a while there comes along a book that shakes the comfortable walls you&#8217;ve built around yourself to the ground.<\/p>\n<p>This is one of those books!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1400205395\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1400205395&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sukfam-20\" target=\"_blank\">(If you don&#8217;t want to waste your time reading this review you can skip it and buy the book here)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Like 25 million other people I learned about Jefferson Bethke in early 2012 when he published his powerful poem on YouTube <strong>&#8220;Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus&#8221;<\/strong>. Check it out below if you haven&#8217;t already seen it.<\/p>\n<p>Bethke&#8217;s poem brings to light the stark differences between the Jesus of the Bible and the religion that Western culture pushes.<\/p>\n<p>I liked the video for two reasons;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">1. His message about Jesus was true and life changing!<br \/>\n2. He filmed the video at Stadium High, a 10 minute walk from where I lived for 7 years while attending seminary!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1IAhDGYlpqY?rel=0\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve read the book and it&#8217;s good!<\/p>\n<p>Thank you <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thomasnelson.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Thomas Nelson Publishing<\/a> for the pre-release copy!<\/p>\n<p>I want you to read the book too, so here are 5 great reasons to buy the book.<\/p>\n<h4>1. It will inspire you even more than the video to live unashamed for Jesus<\/h4>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;But you start investigating\u00a0and pushing into this guy from Nazareth\u00a0who lived\u00a0two thousand years ago, and you will get somewhere. You will have to face up to who he is, what he has done, and what you\u00a0will do about it.&#8221;\u00a0Page 35<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The video gives you a small taste of what this book is like.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It&#8217;s not a theology textbook but it opens up some deep theological truths.<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s not a pep talk but it will get you excited about Jesus.<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s not a self-help manual but you&#8217;ll find truths in it that can and should change your life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>2. It will change your perspective on religion<\/h4>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;All the other religions center on people\u2019s righteousness\u2014\u00a0what we do and how good we are.\u00a0Real Christianity centers on\u00a0Jesus\u2019 righteousness\u2014what he has done and how good he is.&#8221; Page 28<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Bethke hits hard on &#8220;religion&#8221; in this book. He shows how much of American thought has changed Jesus&#8217; message from one of freedom and grace to one of law and works. He breaks down these false patterns of thought and shows how religion is hopeless and lifeless compared to what Jesus has to offer.<\/p>\n<h4>3. It will help you understand how Jesus and the Bible aren&#8217;t &#8220;safe for the whole family&#8221;<\/h4>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;We have completely neutered grace (my good works save\u00a0me, but we still call it grace), made God a math equation (God\u00a0will like me if I\u2019m good), and turned Jesus into Mr. Rogers\u00a0(\u201cHowdy, neighbor\u201d). But Jesus isn\u2019t rocking a cardigan, and\u00a0he doesn\u2019t talk softly through his nose. He\u2019s a roaring lion.&#8221; Page 12<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Many people claim to know Jesus, many think they understand his message but Bethke breaks the mold of Western culture and shows how Jesus is not only a Savior but also a Judge. He&#8217;s not &#8220;ok&#8221; with your sin, he wants you to be holy and he&#8217;s got the solution!<\/p>\n<h4>4. It&#8217;s a message that can change our culture&#8217;s false views of Jesus and salvation<\/h4>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Some people think, I got saved when I was ten, so Jesus is\u00a0my homeboy, right? Well, yes, but probably not in the way they\u00a0mean it.&#8221; Page 49<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The truth is Jesus never asked people to raise their hands while everyone&#8217;s eyes were closed, he never said &#8220;repeat this little prayer after me and you&#8217;ll be saved&#8221;. \u00a0Jesus called people to believe. He called them to believe in a way that would later be evident in their life.<\/p>\n<h4>5. You can support us by buying the book!<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1400205395\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1400205395&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sukfam-20\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/51pVPLMxfIL._SY344_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg\" width=\"229\" height=\"346\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Imagine, you get the blessing of this awesome book and you can bless us at the same time!<\/p>\n<p>Yes, we get a generous commission from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;tag=sukfam-20\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon<\/a> if you buy the book after clicking on any link in this blog post! Actually we will get a commission on anything you buy from Amazon so go wild and get a bunch of books!<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1400205395\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1400205395&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sukfam-20\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">Buy the book asap!<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>The more people who buy it now the more likely it will be to make it to #1 on Amazon. That&#8217;s important because that means Amazon will promote it and more people will see it and hopefully buy it.<\/p>\n<p>This is a message of truth that America needs. I&#8217;m excited to see how it will impact churches and especially youth!<\/p>\n<h4>Question: In what ways is Jesus as greater than religion in your life?<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every once in a while there comes along a book that shakes the comfortable walls you&#8217;ve built around yourself to the ground.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[226,31],"tags":[257],"class_list":["post-3125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-writing","tag-book-review"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/jesus-is-greater.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3izZc-Op","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3560,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/top-posts-of-2013\/","url_meta":{"origin":3125,"position":0},"title":"Top Posts of 2013","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"December 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"2013 has come and now is almost gone. God blessed our family and ministry in many ways that I shared in this blog over the past year. I also used many of the lessons I learned in ministry and much of what God was teaching me through my study of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General Updates&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General Updates","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/DSC06798.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/DSC06798.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/DSC06798.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9540,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/unexpected\/","url_meta":{"origin":3125,"position":1},"title":"When Sharing the Gospel Isn&#8217;t What You Expected | Season 4 Episode 9","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"July 11, 2018","format":"audio","excerpt":"This past Sunday things didn't go as planned and we ended up in an awkward and unexpected situation, nevertheless, it was a gospel opportunity. I share the story with you in this episode of Now Is the Time.\u00a0 I also give you and update on the older couple whom we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General Updates&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General Updates","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/marcus-wallis-607534-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/marcus-wallis-607534-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/marcus-wallis-607534-unsplash.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/marcus-wallis-607534-unsplash.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/marcus-wallis-607534-unsplash.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2580,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/happy-resurrection-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":3125,"position":2},"title":"Happy Resurrection Day!","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"May 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Today Christina and I want to wish you a happy Resurrection Day! This morning we celebrated Easter at our home church Hope for People here in Odessa, Ukraine. It's at times like this that I really love the name of our church, after all Jesus' resurrection does give true and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Family&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Family","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/family\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/DSC03672.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/DSC03672.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/DSC03672.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6819,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/4-reasons-why-we-give-up-on-the-gospel\/","url_meta":{"origin":3125,"position":3},"title":"4 Reasons Why We Give up on the Gospel | Season 02 Episode 07","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"August 24, 2016","format":"audio","excerpt":"Did you know it's possible to give up on the Gospel too early and be unaware of what you just did? In this episode of \"Now Is the Time\" I talk about why it is that we often give up and stop sharing the Gospel too soon. I share with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Gospel Today&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Gospel Today","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Why-WeGive-up-on-the-Gospel.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Why-WeGive-up-on-the-Gospel.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Why-WeGive-up-on-the-Gospel.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8193,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/jesus-wants-you-to-be-wealthy\/","url_meta":{"origin":3125,"position":4},"title":"God Wants You to Be Wealthy | Gospel Mistake #1","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"July 18, 2017","format":"video","excerpt":"Jesus promised his disciples great wealth in this world if they gave up all to follow him. Sometimes this is known as the 100 fold principle. Could it really be true? Does putting your faith in Jesus not only give you eternal life in heaven but also a wealthy and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sermons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sermons","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/maxresdefault-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/maxresdefault-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/maxresdefault-8.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/maxresdefault-8.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/maxresdefault-8.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1884,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/calebs-new-book-free-on-amazon\/","url_meta":{"origin":3125,"position":5},"title":"Caleb&#8217;s New Book on Amazon","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"December 22, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I often get asked the question, \"What about the Orthodox Church, how is it different from the Evangelical Church?\"\u00a0 So instead of trying to answer everyone individually I just decided to write a book about it! The book is called- Church, Tradition and Scripture Where does the Authority Hide? 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