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9 Common Lies Christians Believe

And Why God's Truth Is Infinitely Better

Shane Pruitt

About 9 Common Lies Christians Believe

Maybe God isn't who you think He is. Maybe He's much better. Pastor and speaker Shane Pruitt guides readers in identifying the Christian cliches we've all heard that are actually unbiblical lies. He then counters with the truths about God as presented in the Bible, truths that bring encouragement and freedom for our lives.

God won't give you more than you can handle. Really? Pastor and speaker Shane Pruitt shines a light on this and other Christian cliches that upon further inspection are actually unbiblical lies that keep far too many believers stuck in spiritual immaturity.

Praise

“Do you cringe when hearing another Christian cliché? Are you weary of how unhelpful (and unbiblical) some of our Christian vernacular has become? In this book my friend Shane Pruitt addresses some of the statements that have run amuck in our midst and have inevitably weakened the voice of the church in our culture. I highly recommend you read this book and discuss it with a group of friends.”
—Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham distinguished chair at Wheaton College

“Shane’s book will help all of us understand the true character of God in a deeper way and be ready to encourage friends and family who have fallen prey to these common lies.”
—Scott Evans, founder and president of Outreach Inc.

“It’s the book we all need to read. It’s the book we need to encourage others to read. It’s the book about lies we have heard and maybe even believed throughout our Christian lives. Shane Pruitt takes the lies and turns them upside down to point us to biblical truth. He writes from the heart of one who loves Scripture but also from the heart of one who has had to endure these lies amid his own heartaches in his family. Thank you, Shane. Nine Common Lies Christians Believe is a gift to all of us.”
—Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources Church Answers, ChurchAnswers.com

“Shane’s book encompasses my two favorite themes: the restorative grace of Jesus Christ and adoption. This book is sure to encourage you!”
—Lisa Harper, speaker and author of The Sacrament of Happy

“The evangelical world has been waiting to hear from a fresh young voice like Shane Pruitt. He has a passion for people and a love for the Lord and is straight as an arrow theologically. Read this new book…and reap!”
—O. S. Hawkins, president and CEO of GuideStone Financial Resources and best-selling author of The Joshua Code

“Finally! I am so thankful that Shane has addressed these lies so winsomely and pointed us toward the real truth of God’s Word! This book will be a tremendous encouragement to people going through a difficult time, wanting to know God’s Word better, or simply looking to increase their faith. I urge you to read it and share it with everyone you know!”
—Jonathan “JP” Pokluda, teaching pastor at Watermark Community Church, leader of The Porch, and author of Welcome to Adulting

“I’ve been in church my entire life and had no idea that some of the clichés that are often regurgitated aren’t at all biblical. In Nine Common Lies Christians Believe, Shane Pruitt articulately lays out a biblically sound doctrine that is both convicting and a breath of fresh air!”
—Lawrence B. Jones III, news contributor for Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC and editor in chief of Campus Reform

“Here’s a clear and compelling antidote to the kind of common clichés that so many people uncritically believe. Thanks, Shane, for pointing readers to biblical wisdom, where hope and truth reside!”
—Lee Strobel, New York Times best-selling author of The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith

“Without consistent discipleship, Christians can fall prey to lies they’ve heard regularly in the church. In Nine Common Lies Christians Believe, Shane successfully navigates some of the most common false beliefs told in the church. By speaking the truth in love, he firmly and gracefully provides a much-needed course correction. Every Christian will benefit from reading this book.”
—Robby Gallaty, senior pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church and author of Growing Up and The Forgotten Jesus

“Like Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask,” Shane Pruitt’s Nine Common Lies Christians Believe allows us to collectively exhale, exposing humanity’s propensity to hide. Unlike Dunbar’s poem, Shane’s prose welcomes us into the land of vulnerability, embraced by a Father who loves us.”
—Bryan Loritts, lead pastor at Abundant Life Church and author of Insider Outsider

“Jesus never said that following Him was going to be easy. When Christians reduce faith to pithy statements like the lies Shane breaks down in this book, it doesn’t help—it actually hurts. So stop believing these lies! Let my friend Shane guide and lead you to understanding the heart of God.”
—Daniel Im, teaching pastor at The Fellowship, director of church multiplication at LifeWay Christian Resources, podcaster, and author of No Silver Bullets

“In my time in ministry, I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard Christians articulate some version of each of the statements in this book. I’m so glad Shane wrote this book, addressing these lies from a biblical perspective. Shane Pruitt is a voice we need to hear more from.”
—Matt Carter, pastor of preaching and vision at The Austin Stone Community Church and author of Steal Away Home


Pruitt, director of evangelism for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, challenges readers to question whether what they think they know about God lines up with scripture in this persuasive book. When Pruitt and his wife discovered that their adopted son had severe health challenges due to gangrene, despite their heartache and anger, they felt they had to keep up the appearance of being in control and at peace. Meanwhile, Pruitt discovered that well-meaning members of their congregation’s cliché comments about being the “good Christian” proved more annoying than helpful. Realizing that many Christians hold unproductive, untrue ideas about the nature of Christianity, he decided to structure the book around nine common lies he believes Christians tell themselves—often to help deal with difficult circumstances.

For instance, God actually does give people more than they can handle, Pruitt suggests, because otherwise, followers would have no need to turn to him in prayer. Also, the phrase “God gained another angel” is false, he writes, citing the difference between “angelic” and a human being, reminding readers that scripture doesn’t say that everyone who dies will spend eternity in heaven. Other false statements he argues Christians believe include “God just wants me to be happy” and “Follow your heart.” This is a wonderfully reasoned book that strikes at the core of unhelpful platitudes distorted from Biblical scripture.
Publishers Weekly

About Shane Pruitt

SHANE PRUITT and his wife, Kasi, live in Rockwall, Texas, with their five children. He has been in ministry for over 17 years as a denominational leader, church planter, pastor, and traveling communicator. He currently serves as Director of Evangelism for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. He holds a Bachelor's in Biblical Studies, a Master's in History, and a PhD in Clinical Christian Counseling.

He is a popular blogger, and has had articles appear in RELEVANT, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, CrossWalk, Church Leaders, The Baptist Press, FaithIt, HelloChristian, and many others. Shane and his wife were featured as ABC's Nightly News "Persons of the Week" in August 2017 - the story centered around their adoption.

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Book Trailer: 9 COMMON LIES CHRISTIANS BELIEVE by Shane Pruitt

Product Details

224 pages | Published by Multnomah

On Sale Date: Feb 19, 2019

Trim Size: 5-3/16 x 8

Carton Quantity: 24

Sneak Peek

Read the first chapter of Nine Common Lies Christians Believe. Maybe God isn't who you think He is. Maybe He's much better. Pastor and speaker Shane Pruitt guides readers in identifying the Christian cliches we've all heard that are actually unbiblical lies. He then counters with the truths about God as presented in the Bible, truths that bring encouragement and freedom for our lives. God won't give you more than you can handle. Really? Pastor and speaker Shane Pruitt shines a light on this and other Christian cliches that upon further inspection are actually unbiblical lies that keep far too many believers stuck in spiritual immaturity.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brett Benson, Senior Publicist
bbenson@penguinrandomhouse.com 



Ministry Leader & Popular Blogger—Who Previously Embraced Common Religious Clichés Like God Won’t Give Me More Than I Can Handle—Shines God’s Truth on 9 of the Lies Christians Believe

 
Shane Pruitt and his wife, Kasi, already had two children and began the emotionally-grueling journey of international adoption, believing they could handle adopting a child with special needs. They fell in love with a small boy who was severely malnourished and believed God was leading them to bring him into their family. However, upon their return from Uganda, doctors discovered their son was not only developmentally delayed but experienced over 20 seizures a day. They had many questions the doctor couldn’t answer about his future and were shocked when he was diagnosed with both epilepsy and cerebral palsy.
 
The Pruitt’s faith bubble burst. This was definitely more than they could handle. They asked, Lord, what are You doing? This is not what we asked for, nor is this what we agreed to. Right, God? After all, they had each completed Bible college, were ministry leaders, and, in the opinion of many, were “super Christians.”
 
In the year that followed, they grappled with their son’s health issues as they were told more well-meaning Christian phrases, but it just stirred a lot of annoyance and guilt in them. They could no longer play this superficial game. Shane and Kasi realized they had been held captive by common lies and needed to find freedom in biblical truth.
 
In 9 Common Lies Christians Believe: And Why God’s Truth is Infinitely Better (Multnomah, 2/19/19), Shane Pruitt shines the truth of Scripture on nine popular one-liners that have wormed their way into the Christian vernacular, showing how they can ultimately damage an individual’s faith and keep them from spiritual maturity. The common lies he tackles include:
· God Gained Another Angel
· Follow Your Heart
· God Just Wants Me to be Happy
· I Could Never Forgive that Person
· Believe in Yourself
 
In his conversational style, Pruitt shares stories from his life and the lives of others that help expose these dangerous lies while helping readers focus their minds on the Word of God. Readers will find encouragement, comfort and freedom as they walk away from empty lies and embrace biblical truths.

“If we’re going to commit to the truth, then we’ve got to be all in. The whole truth and nothing but the truth, even when it makes us uncomfortable.” Shane Pruitt

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Shane Pruitt and his wife, Kasi, live near Dallas, Texas, with their five children. Pruitt has been in ministry for more than 17 years as a denominational leader, church planter, and traveling communicator. He holds a B.S. in biblical studies and a PhD in Christian counseling. Shane serves as Director of Evangelism for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. A popular blogger, Pruitt has written for Relevant, Christianity Today, the Christian Post, ChurchLeaders.com and other online journals. A video showing their children celebrating the surprise arrival of one of their adopted siblings went viral and the story was covered on ABC News and Inside Edition, as well as many other media outlets. For more information, visit shanepruitt.com.
 
www.Facebook.com/ShanePruittTX
www.Twitter.com/shane_pruitt78
 

Praise for 9 Common Lies Christians Believe and Why God’s Truth is Infinitely Better
“It's the book we all need to read. It's the book we need to encourage others to read. It's the book about lies we have heard, maybe even believed, all of our Christian lives. Shane Pruitt takes the lies and turns them upside down to point us to biblical truth. He writes from the heart of one who loves Scripture; but he also writes from the heart of one who has had to endure hearing these lies with his own heartaches in his family. Thank you, Shane. 9 Common Lies Christians Believe is a gift to all of us.”
Thom Rainer, President & CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources Church Answers, ChurchAnswer.com

“Do you cringe when hearing another Christian cliché? Are you weary of how unhelpful (and unbiblical) some of our Christian vernacular has become? In this book my friend Shane Pruitt addresses some of the statements that have run amuck in our midst and have inevitably weakened the voice of the church in our culture. I highly recommend you read this book and discuss it with a group of friends.”
Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham distinguished chair at Wheaton College

“Shane’s book encompasses my two favorite themes: the restorative grace of Jesus Christ and adoption. This book is sure to encourage you!”
Lisa Sharon Harper, speaker and author of The Sacrament of Happy
 
“Here’s a clear and compelling antidote to the kind of common clichés that so many people uncritically believe. Thanks, Shane, for pointing readers to biblical wisdom, where hope and truth reside!”
Lee Strobel, New York Times best-selling author of The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith

Release date: February 19, 2019
Religion/Christian Living
ISBN 9780735291577 ● Trade Paperback ● 224 Pages ● $15.99 U.S. / $21.99 Canada
eBook ISBN 9780735291584 ● $11.99 U.S./$13.99 Canada

Contact Publicist

Brett Benson