Kerby Anderson
You have heard most of them before. They are little phrases and one-liners that Christians (and even non-Christians) say in order to encourage you. You might be going through some tough struggles, and they remind you, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” At a funeral for a child, someone will likely explain, “God gained another angel.” And of course, there are the millions of people who believe that “God just wants you to be happy” and that you need to “Believe in yourself.”
Fortunately, Shane Pruitt has been willing to tackle these and other false one-liners in his new book, “9 Common Lies Christians Believe.” He was on the Point of View Radio Talk Show to discuss his book.
Shane wrote about these common lies because of his own experience. When his wife and he adopted a disabled child from Uganda, they faced numerous surgeries for him and major emotional challenges. That is why his first chapter addresses the lie that, “God won’t give me more than I can handle.” He takes on that misunderstanding both with personal examples and sound biblical interpretation.
Some of the lies we believe have been challenged in society. Common lie #5 says you must “follow your heart.” Mike Rowe is known for his work on such TV programs as “Dirty Jobs” and “Returning the Favor.” No doubt you have also seen his YouTube videos or Ted Talks about how we are doing a disservice to so many young people by telling them merely to “follow their heart.”
Shane also addresses some important theological errors. Common lie #6 is “God doesn’t really care” and common lie #8 is “I don’t think God likes me.” He hears these comments not only in this country but even when he has traveled to Africa.
I recommend this book for a sermon series, for small groups, and for individual study. We need to reject these lies and embrace God’s truth on these issues.

Kerby Anderson
The US Constitution reminds us that the responsibility for our government rests with “we the people.” In order for us to be effective, we need to know something about our government and our history. Citizens in countries ruled by dictators don’t need to know much since the major decisions are made for them. But we Americans should be educated and informed.
Unfortunately, we are not well educated and informed. A study done by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation discovered that only one in three (36%) Americans could actually pass the US citizenship test. And I might add that you only have to get 60 percent of the questions right in order to pass the test.
For example, a majority (57%) did not know how many justices serve on the Supreme Court. Nearly three-fourths (72%) could not accurately identify which states comprised the 13 colonies. And only a quarter (24%) even knew why the American colonists fought the British in the Revolutionary War.
Most disturbing was the fact that young people performed worst on the test. You might excuse an elderly person for forgetting some facts about government or history. But less than one in five (19%) under the age of 45 could pass this test.
In previous commentaries, I have proposed a solution that some states have considered. Require students to pass the citizenship test before they graduate from high school. Consider the fact that a naturalized citizen probably knows more about America’s history and structure of government than someone who was born in this country.
Young people in America cannot pass a citizenship test for one of two reasons: either they weren’t paying attention in class or they weren’t taught this material in the first place. Let’s require students to pass a citizenship test before graduation. We require it of people who want to be American citizens. Why not require it of students who are already citizens because they were born here?