Love

It’s dangerous when Christian’s get so caught up in apologetics, and we forget about evangelism. Yes we are called to defend the faith and hold others accountable- but there’s a way do it that’s more effective than “gotcha” moments and winning arguments. And that’s with LOVE. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Are you a faith-driven woman ready to transform your health and fitness, level up your habits, and steward everything that God has blessed you with? If so, welcome to the Refinery Movement Podcast, the place for Christian women in fitness or women ready to step into it who want to build strong, faith-based habits that honor God and inspire their families and communities. I'm your host, AJ Amrine, lifelong athlete, former WWE superstar and founder of the Refinery Movement. My passion is to help women integrate faith and fitness and to make the church healthy again. Here we'll dive into powerful strategies, biblical principles, and practical tips to help you crush your goals. We'll also talk about balancing training, nutrition, and family life because you can steward the temple and still enjoy freedom, fun, and connection. So grab your protein shake, get comfy, and let's step into today's episode with boldness, clarity, and intention. Let's get refined.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Hey guys, welcome back to the Refinery Movement Podcast. Today we're going to talk about something that's been a little twisted, and that is apologetics. And I am very passionate about Jesus, and this can be something that I have mistakenly done at some points, and I just want to hold myself accountable and also others. And apologetics is the practice of explaining and defending the Christian faith with reason, truth, and clarity. And we are called to do that. Um, in context of the Bible, it is based on verses like 1 Peter 3:15 says, always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in you, but do this with gentleness and respect. And too often we experience judginess from Christians when they think that they're defending the faith. And I feel like because the world has changed so fast, we sometimes see this a lot in like older generations. And they're like, What are the what are they wearing? What are they doing? Um and but recently with social media, I've been seeing younger generations get super judgy when we should be sharing love. Um, I see a lot on social media of users who like to like stitch videos and embarrass other like sisters and brothers in Christ just because they aren't as far along in their faith journey as them. By no means am I saying to not hold others accountable. The purpose of this podcast is to share that there's a more effective way to call others higher. Because somewhere along the way, apologetics started to feel like proving points and winning arguments and having the perfect verse ready to fire off at any moment. But that's not actually what leads people to Jesus. Love does. If you think about two different missionaries, one person that goes into a town and is like, do this, do that, and like forcing baptisms, that's not gonna go over as well as someone who, on the other hand, goes into the town and at the same time loves others, but still lives in a way that is a way that Christians live and they just show love to the people of the town and they win them over through love and kindness. People are gonna be a lot more inclined to be like, okay, what does this person have that I don't have? Like, what am I missing that they have and I don't? Like, because there's this deep joy that we can show through love and kindness, but people are often turned away whenever we're like a little more forceful. And that's not how Jesus did it, and that's how, and that's not how we should do it. Jesus says in Matthew 22, 37, love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. So loving others is not optional, it's not a suggestion, it is a command. And if we're being real, it's easy to love people who are like us. And it's a lot harder when they're not. And sometimes this is family and people those close to us. If our goal is to truly be disciples, if our goal is to share the gospel and to see people saved, then we have to understand that you don't convert people by proving points. You convert people by planting seeds and showing love and kindness. And yeah, I'll be honest, like I've fallen into this trap myself because I'm just so passionate about Jesus and I care deeply about truth. And yes, we are called to guard the faith, but here's the tension: you can be right and still push people further from Christ. The Bible makes it clear that truth matters, but truth without love, like it becomes a weapon, not a witness. Like if you if you look at a lot of apologetics content online right now, it feels like gotcha moments and public correction with a condemning tone. And that's just not how Jesus Christ led. Jesus didn't lead with shame or debate or embarrassment. He led with relationship and compassion and an invitation. He spoke truth and never wavered, yes, but people felt seen and they felt loved, not like corrected and challenged just immediately right off the bat. They felt seen and loved, and he met them where they're at. That's real apologetics, because apologetics at its core is simply this explaining and defending the faith with reason, truth, and clarity. But look at how scripture frames it. In 1 Peter 3 15, it says, Always be prepared to give reason for the hope that is in you, but do this with gentleness and respect. So gentleness and respect, not pressure and forcing real apologetics. Sounds like I care about you too much to not share the truth with you. Not, I need to prove you wrong. It's not about condemning or judging or winning an argument. It is about loving the person in front of you. It's about holding people accountable with humility and lifting others up because God has called us to live such amazing lives. Because if people don't feel loved, they won't receive the truth. They're gonna close off before you even get to the point you're trying to make. And I think a lot of us feel this pressure, like I need to have every scripture memorized, I need to have all the answers. And yeah, that's powerful to like know scripture on hand. But the truth is the gospel speaks for itself. So you can take the pressure off. Yes, still have the sword of the spirit, but that's not the main thing. The main thing is love. Love God and love others. And I'm not saying to not share scripture. I'm saying that there's a beauty in discernment and being socially aware and knowing how to meet someone where they are. Jesus did not force people into transformation. He loved them into it. Think about it like a parent with their child. I'm talking about like their adult child. What if your child, what if your adult child chooses a path that you don't agree with, like a job that you don't understand, or you're like, that's not going to provide a living for them? That lifestyle might be different, or they might pick a spouse that you cannot stand. Or maybe they pick a different sexual orientation. That's hard, like, but that's deep stuff that people are dealing with. And do you think that disowning them leads them closer to the truth? Or does loving them, learning how to love and support them through all this, walking with them and supporting them, create space for God to move? In those times where the people we love are struggling, or when people are different from us or living differently from us, that might be when they need love the most. That might be when they need mercy and grace and love the most. We are called to lead people to the feet of Jesus. And love is the strategy, not force. Look at the story of the Good Samaritan. Like love crossed boundaries, love showed up, and love acted. John 13, 35 says, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. Not by how many arguments you win, not by how sharp your theology is, but by your love. Because people aren't convinced by arguments first, they're moved by love. Love builds trust and trust opens hearts. We got to remember that we are talking to a child of God, even if they don't know they are one yet. Romans 2 4 says, God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance. God himself uses kindness, not force. So if that's his method, it should be ours too. Because we're made in his image. Think about your own life. Think about a moment where you did not deserve God's love, but he met you anyway. He reached for you anyways. Didn't that draw you closer to him? Like you were like, wow, God really loves me and I was made for more. And we can help others see that too. We all have an appetite to be loved. In First Corinthians 9 22, it says, I have become all things to all people, so that by all possible means I might save some. That's not compromise, that is connection. That's meeting people where they are, not demanding they come to you first. Just because someone isn't where you are doesn't mean they're loved any less. Everyone is on their own timeline with God. Our job isn't to rush conviction. Our job is to love and encourage them to keep pressing in and just watch God move. And here's a personal example. I have I have loved Jesus my entire life, but I didn't know him to the extent that I know him now. And my life necessarily didn't reflect what I sh how I should be living. And the main kind of thing I struggled with was modesty. Like I was in WWE, I didn't dress the best. Um, and there were some people online and in my life who shared things to me in like a very condemning tone, like, oh, you shouldn't dress like that. Why are you sharing scripture and doing this? And I felt very pushed away and like, who are they to say this? Like, I know Jesus, like I love Jesus. He knows who I am. Like that, it almost like pushed me away. Like it didn't call me higher. But those who loved me through it and held me accountable in a way that was a way that I was able to receive it, and they met me where I was and showed me tough love in the right moments and was truly like led by the Holy Spirit in conversations, and they also led by example in my life. That is what called me higher. That is what helped me start dressing differently and living differently. So that love that they showed me is just a personal example of how this works. And here's some reflection questions for and grab your notebooks. Here's some journal prompt questions that I have written down for you guys. And number one is who is the hardest for you to love right now? Who is the hardest person in your life for you to love right now? And maybe that's the person you need to reach out to the most. Number two, have you ever been changed by someone's kindness? And reflect on this. I'm sure everyone has. Have you ever been changed by someone's kindness? Just this morning, like someone changed the course of my day just by smiling at me. And I was like, wow, yeah, today is today is a great day. Like that, you know. Number three is where do we sometimes get it wrong when sharing our faith? And number four is what would it look like to lead with love instead of trying to win? And here's a closing thought. Jesus didn't force people to follow him. He loved them so deeply that they wanted to. And that's the kind of apologetics that actually changes lives. Thank y'all so much for tuning in to this week's episode of the Refinery Movement Podcast. And yeah, let me know if you guys have any uh topic suggestions and DM me about them. And I would love to get some ideas from y'all. And I have been just absolutely loving doing these weekly, and it's growing, and I'm just so blessed. And just thank you guys so much for your support. It means the world truly. And until next time, stay refined.