When Truth Gets Twisted: Naming Counterfeit Truths (Part 3 of 7)

Today, we’re not just confused about what’s right and wrong. We’re confused about what’s real.

We don’t know what to trust, who to listen to, or where to look for answers.

There’s a story told about a little girl who wandered away from home one afternoon. Her family panicked. Neighbors searched. Days went by with no sign of her. Eventually, they found her—huddled in a field just a mile from her house.

When they asked why she hadn’t come home, she said:

“I kept walking in the wrong direction because every time I looked around, I didn’t recognize anything.”

She was lost—and getting more lost—because she didn’t know what home looked like.

That’s the world we live in.

People are wandering further and further from truth…

because they don’t even recognize what it looks like anymore.

But here’s the good news:

Jesus didn’t leave us to wander blindly.

He came to show us the way… and be the way.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” — John 14:6

If you want to know what truth looks like—look to Jesus.

If you want to know how truth sounds—listen to Jesus.

If you want to know where truth leads—follow Jesus.

Truth isn’t created by culture.

It’s not decided by social media polls.

It doesn’t rise and fall based on how we feel on any given day.

Truth is revealed through the Word of God and the Person of Jesus Christ.

And God’s truth is unchanging—because God is unchanging.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8

If we’re going to be people of truth, we’ve got to start by knowing the Source of truth.

Not just quoting Him.

Not just singing about Him.

But knowing Him. Walking with Him. Listening to Him. Following Him.

Still, the moment we leave the pages of Scripture and glance around, it’s obvious—we’re in a truth crisis.

And it’s not just “out there.”

Distorted versions of truth are creeping into our churches, our homes, our conversations, our playlists, and our pulpits. If we don’t name them, we’ll get swept up in them.

Let’s talk about one of the most common forms: Half-truths.

These are the spiritual-sounding lies that almost sound like faith. They carry a whisper of something right. But they’re missing the weight of Scripture.

A few common examples:

• “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”

Actually… He often does. Because He wants us to learn dependence—not self-sufficiency.

• “It’s all part of God’s plan.”

Try saying that to someone grieving a child, a spouse, or even a job.

Not everything that happens is caused by God—but nothing is beyond God’s reach. Even when He didn’t cause it, He can redeem it—for your good, for His glory, and to tell a better story.

• “God just wants me to be happy.”

Actually, God calls you to be holy. Happiness depends on what’s happening. Joy depends on who Jesus is. Jesus never promised constant happiness—but He did offer something deeper, something eternal.

These sayings may be half true… but half true can be dangerously wrong.

These kinds of lies don’t wake people up—they rock them to sleep.

They don’t stir repentance—they comfort compromise.

They don’t point us to Christ—they pacify us in place.

The danger in half-truths is this: They offer comfort without conviction. And slowly, subtly, they lead people away from the real gospel.

Coming in Part 4: "My Truth" and the Rise of Personalized Faith

We’ll look at how relativism, experience-based belief, and “feel-good” spirituality have shaped a culture where everyone’s truth feels valid—until no one knows what’s real anymore. And we’ll expose the dangers of “My Truth” and “No Truth” thinking—and what the church can do about it.