Don't Take The Lord's Name In vain

The Myth
Taking the Lord's name in vain means using "God" and "Jesus" as curse words.

The Reality
It's true that you should avoid using "God" and "Jesus" as exclamatory statements when you're not actually talking about God. For my part, I try to avoid using any terms that refer to God unless I actually mean it, but I'm not personally offended when people casually say things like "Lord have mercy" etc.
But I strongly believe that the worst case of taking the Lord's name in vain is when people claim to be His followers, but then their actions demonstrate the oppposite. That is what is most offensive to God.
Another translation for the word take in Exodus 20's account of the 10 commandments is lift. We should not lift God's name in vain.

Why It Matters

God demands reverence. While what we say does matter, it fades in comparison to how we live our life. First and foremost, we must make sure that our life is not taking the Lord's name in vain. Whether by our words or by our actions, we must make sure we are truly lifting up God's name, and not dragging it down in the mud.

Apologizing for God

The Myth
The Bible is the truth, except the parts that aren't palatable to me, which I try to explain away or make more acceptable.

The Reality
God doesn't need us to apologize for Him. He needs us to approach His word with humility and honesty, even (or especially?) the parts that we don't find as agreeable as the "love your neighbor" stuff.

I'm a pretty big fan of Francis Chan. I admire him in this video for taking an extremely transparent and uncommonly honest approach to the discussion of Hell, and his faith in general.

Why It Matters

God doesn't need us to make Him more presentable or acceptable. He needs us to recognize our subservience to Him, and accept the fact that we only see a small part of the picture. And, as Francis says, there are certain things that we can not afford to get wrong.

I haven't read the book yet, but I plan on reading it in the near future. For anyone concerned that this video is just a commerical for Francis Chan's book, with the intent of making him rich, consider this:

‎"Chan gives away about 90 percent of his income ... Chan doesn't take a salary from his church, and he has donated all of his book royalties, which total about $500,000 to various charities. Much of it goes to organizations which rescue sex slaves in foreign countries." - Christianity Today, October 2009

Wherever you go, there you are!

The Myth
"Wherever you are, take comfort in knowing that God has you there for a reason."

The Reality
Christians like to feel good about where we are. We're extremely inert, loving to continue doing what we're already doing. That's why many of the most successful modern pastors and motivational speakers are the ones who make you feel good about yourself: You're okay where you are --in fact, you're there because GOD wants you there!
In reality, it's actually dangerous to think that every situation is where God wants you. Think about it: If you murder someone and become a fugitive from the law, do you think God wants you there? Of course not! God wants you to be in HIS will. You're only where He wants you to be if you're there as a result of obedience to Him. If you're in the place you're at right now because of your disobedience, then you're not where God wants you.
That doesn't mean God can't still use you in your current situation, or that He won't work it out for good, but it definitely does not mean that God is happy with the way everything is.
I think we often read the verse, "All things work for the good..." and forget the rest of it: "of those who love Him, who are called according to HIS purposes."
If you're not called according to His purposes (aka obeying and doing His will), then don't blame your current situation on God and say, "Well this is where God wants me, so I'll just trust Him through this."

Why It Matters
Until you're obeying God, you can't have confidence that you're where He wants you. Don't pretend to "trust God in your current situation" if you're not trusting Him in your current actions.

What Spirituality Looks Like

The Myth
Spirituality means _________.

a. having miraculous or exciting supernatural experiences
b. getting really into worship
c. possessing extra-charismatic spiritual gifts

The Reality
This is another thing that Christians like to make about ourselves; we have to be constantly experiencing something supernatural or emotional in order to be spiritual.
Paul outlines what spirituality looks like in his letter to the Galatians, wherein he lists the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. Jesus said you can know a tree by its fruit. In other words, if you feel really emotional during worship or have all sorts of supernatural experience, but the list above does not describe you, then you should seriously re-evaluate your level of spirituality.
True spirituality is demonstrated through a sacrificial lifestyle of obedience to God's Word and Holy Spirit.
My dad, who is a pastor, put it succinctly in a recent sermon he gave:
"Being spirit-filled (having more of the Holy Spirit) is simply letting God the Holy Spirit have more of you." - John Cowan

Why It Matters
We get too easily distracted from the things that really matter. Christians are so good at getting involved in programs and activities and trying to reach God through experiences, but when it comes to actually OBEYING God, we somehow miss the mark.
If our lifestyle is not reflecting Christ, then all of our so-called "spirituality" is worthless. God wants us to be doers, and not deceive ourselves by thinking that feeling or acting spiritual has any meaning apart from obedience.

God's Modus Operandi

The Myth
God accomplishes His will primarily through miracles and direct intervention.

The Reality
Let me establish right off the bat that I believe in miracles. Unfortunately, I think a lot of Christians put way too much emphasis on miracles and experiences, when there are a lot more important things that require our attention.
Jesus said, "A wicked and morally unfaithful generation craves a sign." (Matt 16:4) That's not to say that we shouldn't want to see God in action, but He is not some sort of entertainer that performs endlessly for our pleasure.

I was discussing this with my brother-in-law, and he said something to the effect of this: God rarely does things through direct intervention when He can use a person to do it on His behalf.
I think that sums it up nicely. For me personally, most of the stuff I've seen God do has been the result of people applying His Word and following His lead.

Why It Matters
As I said, this is not to discount the fact that God does perform miracles, but rather than expecting God to intervene directly all the time, we should appreciate miracles and interventions for what they are, and recognize that the primary means of God's will being done is through His disciples. Therefore, we should make sure we're doing our best to BE God's actions, rather than waiting around for a sign. God would much rather see us obey His commands than applaud His performance.