Posted on 11/10/2025 2:41:05 PM PST by WhiteHatBobby0701
The 2024 Form 990 for the Jesus Calling Foundation is now available and shows that the foundation contributed over a million dollars from book royalties to the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) in a single year.
In 2024, the same year that the PCA Committee on Discipleship Ministries (CDM) was tasked to “assess the book’s appropriateness for Christians” and “provide recommendations (if needed) for remedial materials, advisory statements, or General Assembly actions concerning Jesus Calling, the PCA received $1,080,000 from the Jesus Calling Foundation.
The CDM’s 2025 follow-up report stated that “neither CDM nor its staff recommend Jesus Calling” but did not explain why. It shifted responsibility for recommending remedial materials to “local church elders” and declined to offer advisory statements or General Assembly actions concerning Jesus Calling.
Also in 2024, the same year that the PCA’s missionary organization, Mission to the World (MTW), was tasked to “examine MTW’s relationship with the book,” and “consider actions that MTW and the General Assembly should take in light of this study of the book,” MTW received $280,000 from the Jesus Calling Foundation.
MTW’s subsequent 2025 report claimed “no formal relationship with the book,” and gave “no recommendations regarding actions related to the book.”
Published in 2004, Jesus Calling has sold over 45 million copies, making it one of the most recognizable devotional books in recent history.
Sarah Young, a long-time PCA member whose husband, Stephen, is an ordained PCA minister, authored the devotional all the while eschewing public appearances and interviews throughout her career.
The franchise has expanded to include spin-offs such as Jesus Always, Jesus Today, Jesus Lives, Dear Jesus, Jesus Calling for Little Ones, Jesus Calling Bible Storybook, Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids, Jesus Always: 365 Devotions for Kids, and Peace in His Presence, alongside phone apps, podcasts, and other media.
It is also one of the most dangerous books released in the last twenty years for its espousal of blatant mysticism, Montanism, Theoeroticism, speaking for God, extra-biblical assertions, automatic writing, and rejection of the sufficiency of the scriptures.
Put another way, Sarah Young’s life’s work was a demonic deception, but the PCA is reaping the fruit of that poisoned labor.
Article says little about what is unscriptural about “Jesus Calling”.
Anyone know what the problem is?
>> Put another way, Sarah Young’s life’s work was a demonic deception
I understand “Jesus Calling” is not everyone’s cup of tea — but to call it “a demonic deception” is ridiculous.
Red flag warning:
Are there any doctrinal problems with Jesus Calling?
https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-Calling.html
See also from Lignonier Ministries:
https://www.challies.com/articles/10-serious-problems-with-jesus-calling/
In your own words, what does she say that clearly contradicts the Bible?
“...you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.”
Refresh my memory please — who wrote that? Wasn’t one of them non-Protestia-approved heretics, was it?
not exactly God centered
I haven’t read her book, but have seen it plus the “God Calling” booklet. Ligonier has a good write up on the issues with Jesus Calling, and they’ve been spot on in other areas. Based on their review, it appears they are warning readers of Young’s book to be careful, as her focus is off Christ’s sacrifice and His Word; that her approach is as a prophetess based on her extra-biblical technique comprised of mind clearing/ automatic writing that’s so popular in New Agey-type practices. To me it seems wanted something more than the Word and and guidance/ wisdom of the Holy Spirit. I’ve seen popular movements similar to hers. They are close to the Word and use familiar terms but it’s slightly different. I’ve left a few churches for reasons like those— they sound “almost right.” Personally I would exercise great caution, and rely on the 100% Truth of God’s Word (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. Her book just seems like another sign of the times to me, the popular Christian press that makes so much money. We have to step carefully on the path that God’s lamp illuminates to our feet. Be careful out there, study the Word to sharpen discernment so you can spot error. There’s a lot of it in the world and it can be very convincing.
Dizzying slew of assertions.
Not much in the way of substantiation.
>> espousal of... Montanism...
Montanists were basically second century Charismatics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montanism
“Montanism held views about the basic tenets of Christian theology similar to those of the wider Christian Church, but it was labelled a heresy for its belief in new prophetic figures. The prophetic movement called for a reliance on the spontaneity of the Holy Spirit and a more conservative personal ethic.”
Hey, just like the “holiness” movement, early Methodists, and Pentecostals! Heresy? I don’t think so.
Another excerpt I still find profitable from the Wiki on Montanism: “Because much of what is known about Montanism comes from anti-Montanist sources, it is difficult to know what they actually believed and how those beliefs differed from the Christian mainstream of the time.”
Put differently: be careful of your conclusions when what you know about a person or group is solely what their ENEMIES say about them.
FRegards and Blessings
>> I’ve left a few churches for reasons like those— they sound “almost right.”
With whom do you worship now, if you don’t mind me asking?
Well... so the screed writer claims, anyway.
It was actually difficult to get past the spewing bile in the article to ascertain what had the author so worked up. Other than regurgitating without further explanation what are, obviously, someone else’s roster of supposedly dangerous -isms, there wasn’t really any substance.
Now, to my mind, if you’re going to bother listing a roster of supposed problems, you’d better have enough mustard on your own bun to be able to cite, chapter and verse, WHY the listed items are a problem. This author exhibits no such ability, but does show plenty of fortitude in the realm of indignation.
Pity their spouse, if any.
You aren’t supposed to think about it.
You’re supposed to be blindly outraged.
It’s what all the cool kids are doing.
1. She speaks for God
Does she, now? Is she “speaking for God” in a way that’s different than your Pastor speaks for God every Sunday? How does your Pastor “hear from God”? Do you know? Does he talk about it? Having read a passage, how does The Holy Spirit provide the words to use to expound upon if in a fresh light this Sunday? And, using those words from the pulpit, does you Pastor not “speak for God”? HE’D BETTER BE, or you’re in a dead church!
2. She proclaims the insufficiency of the Bible
HOW? By listening to God? By communing with the Holy Spirit to gain His insight? And how is this different than the way your Pastor is led by God to preach on a specific topic? How is this way of being led by The Spirit different than the way a godly Pastor puts a sermon together? Is your Pastor NOT listening to the leading of The Holy Spirit in the core elements of his ministry? If not, you’d better up and FLEE that church!
3. Her deepest experience of God comes through a practice God does not endorse
REALLY? “Hearing” (audibly or not) from God is not biblically endorsed?? Hmmm. I wonder how many times in the Bible “the word of the LORD came to” someone who wasn’t, at that moment, reading scripture. This critic acts as if there’s a different God at work in the church than in the Old Testament. And who was it that said, “My sheep HEAR My voice”? Some heretic, no doubt. [eyeroll] Poor Pastor better not let his parishioners catch him doing any of that!
4. She is inspired by untrustworthy models
Here the writer bashes the author taking some inspiration from the style of the book “God Calling” but doesn’t detail why that’s an issue, so their claim never lands.
5. She provides lesser revelation
So does your Pastor, but you’re not in here ripping him to shreds for it.
6. She mimics occult practices
Au contraire, mon ami. The occult mimic godly practices; the devil is NOTORIOUS for exactly this modus operandi. He has no original, creative power, but is limited to cobbling together cheap knock-offs of legitimate godly practices, AMONG which are quiet meditation before the LORD, and treasuring His leading enough to record it. Again, this is the core toolset every godly pastor employs every week as the shepherd of his flock; praying, meditating quietly, listening for the leading of God by His Holy Spirit, and writing it out for the equipping of the saints on Sunday morning. And why does it I feel like these 10 points involve a significant amount of repetition of the same condemnation from different angles? Like — how many different ways can you rephrase condemnation for seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit in the same way that every good Pastor does?
7. Her emphasis does not match the Bible’s
Oh, I think it gets obvious, reading the author’s complaining, that it’s the author of this list who’s “emphasis does not match the Bible’s.” They’re looking for external connection to Jesus’ person and historical work, while they deride the author of “Jesus Calling” for her focus on the real, inward, daily Presence of a Living Savior. It’s a very strange sort of “Christian” who wants to keep Jesus OUT, rather than enjoy his Presence WITHIN. Methinks this writer would be similarly indignant at the famous little collection of letters from our 17th century Brother Lawrence gathered by his friend and correspondent, Fr. Joseph de Beaufort and published under the title, “The Practice Of The Presence Of God.” Really. What manner of Christ follower eschews The Presence?
8. Her tone does not match the Bible’s
What this threadbare and quibbling critic means to say is that her metaphors are modern, whereas the Bible’ are ancient. Nonetheless, they carry similar patterning after metaphoric usage in the Psalms, and the Song of Solomon, that latter of which become startlingly intimate.
9. She generates confusion
The nitpicking here is that the devotional actually portrays the possibility of having one’s moment-by-moment relationship with God be an ongoing TWO-WAY conversation, rather than a discrete set of messages from God down via His Word, interspersed with a defined set of man to God messages delivered in prayers at various times. Here, again, it is manifest that this critic seems either tragically unfamiliar with, or — worse — fearful of, a Jesus who is 24/7/365 present, RELATIONAL, and actively communicative.
10. Her book has been corrected
OK. This has to be the most specious claim of all. The author of “Jesus Calling” never claims to be on par with Scripture, and one devotional using Abraham and Isaac in an earlier printing, was revised to use Jacob and Joseph in the later printing. Yet, this critic treats that revision as though the author of the book had rewritten The Sermon On the Mount or the LORD’S Prayer. What tripe! Poppycock!! Pure bunkum and tummyrot, as Roald Dahl once put it.
At least half of these 10 claims are differently-aimed diatribes against practices that are the stock-in-trade spiritual exercise of every good Pastor, and — Pastors would dearly hope — every good parishioner. It’s honestly so bound up in a graceless, suffocating spirit of legalism that it can’t be taken seriously as having been a godly critique by a spirit-filled Christian. Rather than conclude that the author of “Jesus Calling” needs very much correction, the tone of this ten point screed leaves me FAR more inclined to refer the critic for some protracted time in Pastoral care and counseling; the heart of Caiaphas is far more in evidence than the heart of Christ.
I go to a small Bible-based church with a strong missions outreach. There’s lots of Bible study, prison ministry, and community outreach for the homeless and addicts, which is a big problem where I live. We also have weekly Celebrate Recovery.
Thanks. Sounds quite similar to the church where I worship. ~100 regularly attending worshipers. Also attend a small “home church”.
FRegards & Blessings in Christ!
I respect your opinion, thanks for sharing it. I was sharing mine because someone sincerely asked for it and had questions about the book. This topic (which I find interesting) is something we each need to work out with God by His Holy Spirit. Each of us answer to God and be held accountable. It’s nice when we can have discussions like this on FR in our seeking Truth.
Good work! Thank you.
The “GotQuestions” link posted above was just an admonition to be careful not to think she is “adding to scripture” with the Jesus Calling books. That’s valid; whereas a mature Christian well-versed in scripture would not think of J.C. as scripture... a new Christian at the “milk stage” possibly might.
But that challies.com article you deconstructed was indeed a nasty, slanderous piece of work for all the reasons you mention.
Thank you! And same to you. Your church sounds a good size. I love the smaller churches, although I know some good big congregations that I really miss due to military moves. My current church has around 40 at this time. We support a ministry in India where the people are very poor and persecuted for being Christian. After most services we go out and seek out people living in the street to minister to them. I love it. Many come to the church for deliverance and begin their journey to turning their lives around according to God’s plan. Never a dull moment!
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