Being Human with Steve Cuss Beyond Self-Help: Real Spiritual Formation with Dr. Kyle Strobel
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Sep 15, 2025 Dr. Kyle Strobel, a professor of spiritual theology at Talbot Seminary, challenges the self-help approach to spirituality. He emphasizes the importance of genuine encounters with Christ over mere discipline, revealing how hidden dynamics like guilt and self-reliance sabotage spiritual growth. By sharing personal stories, Strobel illustrates how honesty with emotions fosters transformation. He stresses the dangers of guilt-driven church culture and calls for a focus on humility, authentic friendships, and God’s presence in everyday life.
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Encounter Over Achievement
- Spiritual disciplines that change behavior but don't produce encounter with Christ are not true spiritual disciplines.
- The primary end of spiritual practice must be encountering Christ, not self-improvement.
Practices Can Become Self-Help
- Spiritual practices have no intrinsic holiness and can be used by the flesh to avoid Christ.
- Watch the ends of your actions to ensure the goal is Christ, not self-made religion.
Be Watchful With Scripture
- Be watchful when you read Scripture and notice if you're using it to argue or perform.
- When you see that use, immediately tell the Lord and bring that motive into prayer.
