CRINGE CLICHÉS CHRISTIANS SAY
John 13:31–38
⸻
INTRO: WHO ARE YOU LEARNING FROM?
YouTube is blowing up among men. And I think I know why: it’s a classroom for the fatherless.
Maybe for you it’s TikTok. Or your text thread. Or your culture. Your journeyman. Your political party. Your family. Your feelings.
But if Jesus is who He says He is, then we’re invited to learn from God Himself. To be His disciples.
⸻
01. “IT FEELS RIGHT, SO IT’S CONFIRMATION”
Jesus is betrayed—and calls it glory.
“Now is the Son of Man glorified…” (v. 31)
Judas walks out to sell out Jesus—and Jesus responds:
“Now I’m glorified.” (v. 31)
“God is glorified.” (v. 31)
“He will glorify me at once.” (v. 32)
Glory, glory, glory.
The world saw Jesus’ death as shame. Jesus saw it as glory. Why? Because the cross would accomplish the greatest act of love and salvation the world has ever known.
🌀 Here’s where we get tripped up:
We confuse peace with permission.
We assume comfort means confirmation.
Some “spiritual” clichés that aren’t actually biblical:
• “I just felt led…”
• “It felt right in my spirit.”
• “I had peace about it.”
• “Everything lined up.”
• “I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I knew it was God.”
But feelings aren’t the filter, faithfulness is.
💥 Sometimes, what feels awful is actually God’s will.
“Count it all joy… when you meet trials… for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness…” – James 1:2–4
📍 Ask yourself:
• Where do you need to stand firm even though it doesn’t feel good?
• What suffering have you condemned that’s actually part of God’s plan?
• Do you know God’s voice—or just your vibe?
📖 Pro tip: Meditate on God’s Word. The more familiar you are with His infallible truth, the less likely you’ll mistake your impulse for His instruction.
⸻
02. “I LOVE JESUS, BUT NOT THE CHURCH”
Jesus commands love for each other.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another… By this all people will know that you are my disciples.” (vv. 34–35)
Jesus didn’t say the world would know us by:
• our theological precision
• our political alignment
• our denominational loyalty
• our vibe or aesthetic
• our passionate rants online
Nope.
The mark of a disciple is how we love each other.
🙅♂️ “I love Jesus, but not the church” doesn’t work.
Paul calls the church a body. So being disconnected isn’t just casual—it’s like being dismembered.
If you saw a severed foot in a field, you wouldn’t say, “That foot’s just taking a break.” No—you’d say, “Something went horribly wrong!”
🤯 The local church is unlike anything else:
• Diverse people gathered under the same grace
• Singing, weeping, celebrating, serving together
• Living on mission for the salvation of their cities
• Bound not by hobbies, but by the blood of Christ
Jesus died for His Bride.
So don’t tell Him you’re close to Him while dogging His wife.
💪🏽 Be planted. Be consistent. Be invested.
• Serve: You get more than you give
• Give: Your heart follows your treasure
• Attend: Something supernatural happens when we gather
• Disciple: Be invested in the next generation
• Live on mission: You’re made for a band of brothers
⸻
03. “BELIEVE IN YOURSELF”
Even Peter failed without Jesus.
“I will lay down my life for you.” – Peter (v. 37)
“Will you? You’ll deny me three times.” – Jesus (v. 38)
Peter meant well. He loved Jesus. He felt ready.
But he still failed.
Because nobody can follow Jesus without Jesus.
🚫 Close cousins of this cliché:
• “You are enough.”
• “Just manifest it.”
• “God helps those who help themselves.”
But the Gospel says the opposite:
• You are not enough. That’s why Jesus came.
• You can’t manifest your way into salvation.
• God helps the helpless. He saves sinners.
👉 Self-belief won’t carry you. Only Jesus can.
⸻
CLOSING QUESTIONS
✋ Where are you trusting your feelings instead of God’s Word?
💒 Are you actively committed to the local church Jesus died for?
💔 Do you believe in yourself—or the One who died for you?
“Even His greatest disciples are failures without Him.”
Let’s stop parroting cultural clichés and start trusting the real Jesus, especially in the Last Supper moments, when everything is on the line.
He doesn’t need our cleverness. He wants our surrender.
⸻
Small Group Questions:
John 13:31-38
1. John 13:31–32. Why does Jesus describe His betrayal and impending death as the moment of His “glory”? How does this challenge our view of what glory looks like?
2. Jesus commands His disciples to love one another (v.34–35). What does it practically look like to live this out in your local church? Where is this hardest for you?
3. Why do you think Peter was so confident in his own ability to follow Jesus and what does his failure teach us about the limits of human willpower?
4. How might your witness change if people saw the depth of your love for your church family? What’s one way you can grow in that this week?