As early as Primary, you may have absorbed this confusing "God loves us....but He's so disappointed in you".
For a religion that preaches hope, the message of "do more" often seems to win out.
With so many programs, assignments, callings, commandments, standards, and honor codes, how can you keep up?
The adversary highlights the shame you feel when you constantly fall short. Do you feel only heaviness as you consider the Latter-Day Saint path to exaltation? How can God not be disappointed in someone like me?
The gospel was never meant to be exhausting, and God has never been disappointed in you.
God isn't frustrated with you, and He isn't looking to condemn you. Many are trying to gain strength by doing more, but true strength is found in turning to God.
In this book, you'll gain an understanding of the wants your heart, not your behaviorWhy you need commandments and covenants, when God already offers you so much graceHow God's acceptance and love propels you in to a relationship with HimSatan's most powerful tool is shame, and it controls you more that you realizeGod is strengthening us by revealing our identityStep into the pages of this book and discover a new relationship with a God who waits to shower you with love and approval. If you're a Latter-Day Saint, it's time for you to experience the hope, power, and redemption the gospel of Jesus Christ offers.
This book was so good for my soul. I thought I’d go into it and learn that no, God is probably not disappointed in me, but I got so so much more than that - most importantly, tools to help me be a better parent.
I wish I had read this 30 years ago. This book gave me a new understanding of God’s love for me. It gave me a whole new perspective on parenting and relationships. Can I have a do-over please? 😀
In 'Is God Disappointed in Me?' by Kurt Francum, the depth of insight into faith, grace, and God's love profoundly resonated with me, echoing sentiments I've long felt but struggled to express. Francum, through his book, has a remarkable gift for giving voice to complex emotional and spiritual dilemmas, articulating thoughts and feelings that many of us grapple with yet find difficult to articulate. His exploration into themes like the misinterpretation of divine disappointment, the significance of approaching scripture with love, and the emphasis on understanding God's character through a lens of compassion, rather than judgment, speaks volumes to readers seeking a deeper connection with their spirituality.
What makes Francum's work stand out is his ability to challenge readers to think beyond their current understanding without demanding conformity to his viewpoints. The book is filled with moments that prompted me to reflect deeply, consider different perspectives, and engage with ideas that I'm still pondering over. While not every concept aligned perfectly with my beliefs, the majority resonated strongly, offering new layers of understanding to my faith journey.
Moreover, Francum's insights into parenting with grace and tackling the misconception that shame should be a component of our spiritual life were particularly impactful. This book is more than just a theological discourse; it's a guide to finding self-love through God's unconditional love, challenging yet comforting, and always enlightening.
Overall, 'Is God Disappointed in Me?' is a compelling read that not only provides clarity and comfort but also encourages profound reflection and open-hearted dialogue with our beliefs. Francum's ability to articulate deeply felt but often unspoken thoughts is truly remarkable, making this quick read book a must-read for those navigating their spiritual path.
Understanding the concepts in this book is vital to living joyfully in the gospel of Jesus Christ instead of living in shame and fear. Kurt approaches shame, grace, and motivation in a relatable way and offers incredible hope for those of us who have lived with our own disappointment and believe God feels the same.
As a Latter-day Saint raised in an orthodox home, I absorbed the shame of imperfection and could not move past the fear of perceived failure to build a more-than-superficial relationship with God. This book can help us see a better way.
Every would-be disciple and especially every parent and leader needs to read this book and embrace the paradigm it presents—for themselves and those they lead. As the gospel of Jesus Christ always does, it will change the world.
I was intrigued by Francom, given his "Leading Saints" podcast. But the interest turned into a tiresome reading experience. I swear, at one point the man wrote identity 15 times on ONE page. When you're reading the book out loud to your spouse it becomes quite a tongue-twister. I think Francom could have done well with another editor. I felt this constant repetition of words made it hard to focus on the spiritual aspect of the book.
Besides that, I enjoyed the book! I like his view on the LDS religion and appreciate his experience. It was just difficult to push past and enjoy his writing when it made me get stuck on the surface of the page. I hope I'm not murdered in the comment section haha. I know Francom has a good following in the LDS community. But again, it was a nice book. It is refreshing to hear that there is more to life than worrying if God is disappointed. Nothing can take away a human's divine spiritual being.
What a great book and reminder that God really does love us unconditionally. It is amazing how much shame and guilt was pretty standard in our LDS teachings while growing up and unfortunately, some still today because we are trying to break the mold. Luckily, I believe we are moving away from it and learning to love more with grace. I am 100% convinced that we really don't know how much we are truly loved by our Heavenly Father.
Kurt did an amazing job of helping me recognize and providing numerous reminders that even though I may be basing much of my life and even my children's lives on actions, that there is a lot more out there through love and grace. I look forward to implementing this immediately, and as Kurt mentioned, likely failing over and over because we are human, but it gives me something to strive to improve and become more understanding. To LOVE!
I enjoyed the reminder on staying centered on our identity. Shame is harmful. I’m glad to know this. I struggled early on with the author’s thoughts about the behavior and heart continuum…and then I remembered it’s a continuum. So that helps. I think we do focus on behavior issues more often than getting to the root of the problem - the heart of an issue. Love is the answer. Identify is key. Purpose is powerful medicine against shame.
Wow! An incredible read! For those of you who haven’t read this book, you have to do it! My favorite chapter is behaviors versus heart, closely followed by grace for grace! Kurt Francom demonstrates how we can remove our shame from a gospel of grace (hence the second half of the book title)! Kurt also explains to us that no matter how much we struggle, god has never been and never will be disappointed in us! I’m going to reread this book!
Insightful book touching on topics of unconditional love, God not being disappointed in us, how to balance what he calls heart and behaviors in the Gospel, how to give grace to others rather than have an expectations/outcomes mentality.
I liked learning from this book, and I could feel the passion the author has for the message he shares. My only complaint is that it could be pretty repetitive throughout the book. I would recommend this to others for sure.
We all need to learn or be reminded that God is not disappointed in us! He can’t be! Disappointment is felt when expectations are different than what you expect, and if God knows everything then he already knows what to expect! There are a lot of good points in this book, and I recommend it!!
It was okay. If you want a fireside in a book format this is for you. I don’t think it will be helpful for those who struggle with depression and self worth or have trauma. But if you are having a bad day this will probably cheer you up.