
Half Truths
God Helps Those Who Help Themselves and Other Things the Bible Doesn't Say
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Ben Holland
-
By:
-
Adam Hamilton
About this listen
They are simple phrases. They sound Christian - like something you might find in the Bible. We've all heard these words. Maybe we've said them. They capture some element of truth, yet they miss the point in important ways.
Join Adam Hamilton in searching for the whole truth by comparing common Christian clichés to the message and ministry of Jesus. The clichés include:
- Everything happens for a reason.
- God helps those who help themselves.
- God won't give you more than you can handle.
- God said it, I believe it, that settles it.
- Love the sinner, hate the sin.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Making Sense of the Bible
- Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Making Sense of the Bible, Adam Hamilton invites us into an honest conversation about the Bible. The book begins with foundational questions such as: How and when was the Bible written? Who decided which books made it into the scriptures and why? How literally must we read it? And, is the Bible ever wrong? From there, Hamilton considers the real questions people frequently ask that continue to divide Christians and denominations alike
-
-
Excellent book for the non-biblical scholar
- By Matt on 05-27-14
By: Adam Hamilton
-
The Lord's Prayer
- The Meaning and Power of the Prayer Jesus Taught
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: George W. Sarris
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, Jesus gave them this prayer. He likely taught it to his followers often, not just one time. He never intended the Lord's Prayer to be a museum piece, placed on a mantel. It was Jesus teaching God's people, through his disciples, how to pray. In The Lord's Prayer: The Meaning and Power of the Prayer Jesus Taught, Adam Hamilton guides us to really know—and really pray—the Lord's Prayer. He explores each of its rich lines and their meaning in the Bible, illuminating what we ask of God and what we ask of ourselves through its words.
-
-
Insightful look at the Lord’s Prayer
- By Melissa G. on 09-30-24
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Words of Life
- Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nearly everyone has heard of the Ten Commandments, the list of "thou-shalt-nots" found in the Bible. Jesus saw these commandments not as onerous burdens, but as guideposts to help us experience a good and beautiful life. These 10 ancient "words" were given to us by a loving God who longed to set safe boundaries, create order out of chaos, help communities live peacefully, and protect us - often from ourselves.
-
-
Inspirational and also comforting
- By RA Fires on 11-27-24
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Unafraid
- Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For anyone struggling with fear, worry, or anxiety, or who wonders how families and communities can live as peace makers in troubled times, Unafraid offers an informed and inspiring message full of practical solutions. Trusted pastor and best-selling author Adam Hamilton draws on the latest research, therapeutic insights, biblical principles and personal experience to untangle the knots of fear and truly embrace Jesus's recurring counsel to his followers, "Do not be afraid". As a leading voice in the progressive tradition, Hamilton communicates with grace and understanding.
-
-
Encouraging
- By cocoloustaunau on 03-06-19
By: Adam Hamilton
-
The Way
- Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Ben Holland
- Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Travel with Adam Hamilton as he retraces the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Once again, Hamilton approaches his subject matter with thoughtfulness and wisdom, just as he did with Jesus' crucifixion in 24 Hours That Changed the World and with Jesus' birth in The Journey. Listen to The Way on your own or, for a more in-depth study, enjoy it with a small group or part of a 40-day church-wide emphasis during Lent and Easter or anytime of the year.
-
-
Evil will not defeat us.
- By Amazon Customer on 04-12-25
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Why
- Making Sense of God's Will
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If God counts the hairs on our head, and knows every sparrow that falls, why is finding and understanding God's will so difficult at times? In Why?: Making Sense of God's Will best-selling author Adam Hamilton brings fresh insight to the age-old question of how to understand the will of God. Rejecting simplistic answers and unexamined assumptions, Hamilton addresses how we can comprehend God's plan for the world and ourselves
-
-
Hamilton never disappoints
- By Collette Burgess on 03-28-20
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Making Sense of the Bible
- Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Making Sense of the Bible, Adam Hamilton invites us into an honest conversation about the Bible. The book begins with foundational questions such as: How and when was the Bible written? Who decided which books made it into the scriptures and why? How literally must we read it? And, is the Bible ever wrong? From there, Hamilton considers the real questions people frequently ask that continue to divide Christians and denominations alike
-
-
Excellent book for the non-biblical scholar
- By Matt on 05-27-14
By: Adam Hamilton
-
The Lord's Prayer
- The Meaning and Power of the Prayer Jesus Taught
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: George W. Sarris
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, Jesus gave them this prayer. He likely taught it to his followers often, not just one time. He never intended the Lord's Prayer to be a museum piece, placed on a mantel. It was Jesus teaching God's people, through his disciples, how to pray. In The Lord's Prayer: The Meaning and Power of the Prayer Jesus Taught, Adam Hamilton guides us to really know—and really pray—the Lord's Prayer. He explores each of its rich lines and their meaning in the Bible, illuminating what we ask of God and what we ask of ourselves through its words.
-
-
Insightful look at the Lord’s Prayer
- By Melissa G. on 09-30-24
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Words of Life
- Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nearly everyone has heard of the Ten Commandments, the list of "thou-shalt-nots" found in the Bible. Jesus saw these commandments not as onerous burdens, but as guideposts to help us experience a good and beautiful life. These 10 ancient "words" were given to us by a loving God who longed to set safe boundaries, create order out of chaos, help communities live peacefully, and protect us - often from ourselves.
-
-
Inspirational and also comforting
- By RA Fires on 11-27-24
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Unafraid
- Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For anyone struggling with fear, worry, or anxiety, or who wonders how families and communities can live as peace makers in troubled times, Unafraid offers an informed and inspiring message full of practical solutions. Trusted pastor and best-selling author Adam Hamilton draws on the latest research, therapeutic insights, biblical principles and personal experience to untangle the knots of fear and truly embrace Jesus's recurring counsel to his followers, "Do not be afraid". As a leading voice in the progressive tradition, Hamilton communicates with grace and understanding.
-
-
Encouraging
- By cocoloustaunau on 03-06-19
By: Adam Hamilton
-
The Way
- Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Ben Holland
- Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Travel with Adam Hamilton as he retraces the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Once again, Hamilton approaches his subject matter with thoughtfulness and wisdom, just as he did with Jesus' crucifixion in 24 Hours That Changed the World and with Jesus' birth in The Journey. Listen to The Way on your own or, for a more in-depth study, enjoy it with a small group or part of a 40-day church-wide emphasis during Lent and Easter or anytime of the year.
-
-
Evil will not defeat us.
- By Amazon Customer on 04-12-25
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Why
- Making Sense of God's Will
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If God counts the hairs on our head, and knows every sparrow that falls, why is finding and understanding God's will so difficult at times? In Why?: Making Sense of God's Will best-selling author Adam Hamilton brings fresh insight to the age-old question of how to understand the will of God. Rejecting simplistic answers and unexamined assumptions, Hamilton addresses how we can comprehend God's plan for the world and ourselves
-
-
Hamilton never disappoints
- By Collette Burgess on 03-28-20
By: Adam Hamilton
-
The Walk
- Five Essential Practices of the Christian Life
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How do we walk with Christ - daily follow him, grow in him, and faithfully serve him? In the Gospels, Jesus modeled for us the Christian spiritual life. The apostles taught it in their writings. And the Church has, through the last 2,000 years, sought to pursue this Christian spiritual life. In The Walk, Adam Hamilton focuses on five essential spiritual practices that are rooted in Jesus's own walk with God and taught throughout the New Testament.
-
-
walk
- By Peter on 01-11-24
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Simon Peter
- Flawed but Faithful Disciple
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: David Cochran Heath
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Join pastor and author Adam Hamilton in this six-week Lenten journey, and take an in-depth dive into the life, faith, and character of Simon Peter.
-
-
Great Book with Lots of Detail and History
- By Partyof7OK on 11-08-21
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Incarnation
- Rediscovering the Significance of Christmas
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
His parents gave him the name Jesus. But the prophets, the shepherds, the wise men, and the angels addressed him by other names. They called him Lord, Messiah, Savior, Emmanuel, Light of the World, and Word Made Flesh. In Incarnation, best-selling author Adam Hamilton explores the meaning of these titles and what they tell us about the child whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. Join him and reflect upon the significance of the Christ-child for our lives and world today!
-
-
Incarnated
- By Virginia on 12-23-24
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Forgiveness
- Finding Peace Through Letting Go
- By: Adam Hamilton
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is nothing more crippling than holding on to anger. Anger, more than any other emotion, has the power to consume all aspects of our lives, distort our sense of purpose, and destroy our relationship with God. In the passionate and life-changing book Forgiveness: Finding Peace Though Letting Go, best-selling author Adam Hamilton brings the same insight that he applied in the best seller Why? to the challenge of forgiveness.
-
-
Good listening if you're religious.
- By Ale on 07-06-17
By: Adam Hamilton
-
Mere Christianity
- By: C. S. Lewis
- Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most popular and beloved introductions to the concept of faith ever written, Mere Christianity has sold millions of copies worldwide. This audiobook brings together C. S. Lewis' legendary radio broadcasts during the war years, in which he set out simply to "explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times."
-
-
Clear Christianity
- By Andrew on 07-17-17
By: C. S. Lewis
-
Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again
- By: Rachel Held Evans
- Narrated by: Rachel Held Evans
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If the Bible isn’t a science book or an instruction manual, then what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When Rachel Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she began a quest to better understand what the Bible is and how it is meant to be read. What she discovered changed her—and it will change you too.
Drawing on the best in recent scholarship and using her well-honed literary expertise, Evans examines some of our favorite Bible stories and possible interpretations, retelling them through memoir, original poetry, short stories, soliloquies, and even a short screenplay. Undaunted by the Bible’s most difficult passages, Evans wrestles through the process of doubting, imagining, and debating Scripture’s mysteries. The Bible, she discovers, is not a static work but is a living, breathing, captivating, and confounding book that is able to equip us to join God’s loving and redemptive work in the world.
-
-
Hermeneutics for people that don't use the word
- By Adam Shields on 06-14-18
-
The Case for Christ, Revised & Updated
- A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
- By: Lee Strobel
- Narrated by: Lee Strobel
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Is there credible proof that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God? In The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and New York Times bestselling author, retraces his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith and builds a captivating case for Christ's divinity. In this revised and updated edition of The Case for Christ, Strobel cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools such as Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis, asking hard-hitting questions—and taking a deeper look at the evidence from the fields of science, philosophy, and history.
-
-
Wow
- By Jeff Wedding on 09-07-17
By: Lee Strobel
-
Faith Unraveled
- How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask Questions
- By: Rachel Held Evans, Sarah Bessey
- Narrated by: Rachel Held Evans
- Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From New York Times best-selling author Rachel Held Evans: a must-listen for anyone on the journey of doubt, deconstruction, and ultimately faith reborn. Eighty years after the Scopes Monkey Trial made a spectacle of Christian fundamentalism and brought national attention to her hometown, Rachel Held Evans faced a trial of her own when she began to have doubts about her faith. Rachel recounts growing up in a culture obsessed with apologetics, struggling as her own faith unraveled one unexpected question at a time.
-
-
Recharging my faith
- By nitasue11 on 09-07-20
By: Rachel Held Evans, and others
-
Wholehearted Faith
- By: Rachel Held Evans, Jeff Chu
- Narrated by: Daniel Jonce Evans, Jeff Chu, Jamie Wright, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rachel Held Evans is widely recognized for her theologically astute, profoundly honest, and beautifully personal books, which have guided, instructed, edified, and shaped Christians as they seek to live out a just and loving faith. At the time of her tragic death in 2019, Rachel was working on a new book about wholeheartedness. With the help of her close friend and author Jeff Chu, that work-in-progress has been woven together with some of her other unpublished writings into a rich collection of essays.
-
-
Orthodox but Boundary Pushing
- By Anyone on 11-14-21
By: Rachel Held Evans, and others
-
Everything Happens for a Reason
- And Other Lies I've Loved
- By: Kate Bowler
- Narrated by: Kate Bowler
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kate Bowler is a professor at Duke Divinity School with a modest Christian upbringing, but she specializes in the study of the prosperity gospel, a creed that sees fortune as a blessing from God and misfortune as a mark of God's disapproval. At 35, everything in her life seems to point toward "blessing". She is thriving in her job, married to her high school sweetheart, and loves life with her newborn son. Then she is diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.
-
-
Please give me back the lost hours of my life!
- By Charles on 03-24-19
By: Kate Bowler
-
Forgotten God
- Remembering Our Crucial Need for the Holy Spirit
- By: Francis Chan
- Narrated by: Francis Chan
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A follow up to the profound message of Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit's direction in our lives. "In the name of the Father, the Son, and ... the Holy Spirit." We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two?
-
-
The Spirit: the Power of Christ in Us
- By Greg on 02-16-12
By: Francis Chan
-
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels
- By: Kenneth E. Bailey
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning with Jesus' birth, Ken Bailey leads you on a kaleidoscopic study of Jesus throughout the four Gospels. Bailey examines the life and ministry of Jesus with attention to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, Jesus' relationship to women, and especially Jesus' parables. Through it all, Bailey employs his trademark expertise as a master of Middle Eastern culture to lead you into a deeper understanding of the person and significance of Jesus within his own cultural context.
-
-
One of the best resources on Jesus EVER
- By Arthur Sippo on 04-21-20
What listeners say about Half Truths
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JENISE E.
- 12-13-18
Thought provoking
This made me rethink what I have heard my whole life and have even said myself. It was a difficult lesson, but I thank the author for making me think through the fallacy of these statements that run counter to the very foundation of my faith. Excellent! Now I need to listen to this again with a more open mind.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Labor Lawyer
- 10-25-17
Not deep, but solid needed message.
Author thoughtfully explains why certain sayings have negatively influenced Christian thought and honestly explains why some of these sayings can be personally hurtful to others and to oneself. Found some application in my work when I deal with those who lost a loved one.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Asian Rain Cloud
- 09-28-19
Enlightening and informative
There are so many half truths we've taken as gospel; yet, Adam Hamilton does a great job of putting this half truths into appropriate biblical, scholarly perspective. Highly recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Larry
- 06-12-19
Great book
Adam Hamilton is a great communicator. He is a kind, gentle soul. I would highly recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Claire O'keefe
- 03-17-20
great explanation of common phrases
wonderful explanation of how many common religious sayings are not what God or Jesus said or meant. Short read. I have yet to find a book by Hamilton that hasn't helped me to understand the meaning of what it is to be a Christian.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SewJens
- 05-02-18
All Christians should read this!
Adam Hamilton shares his gift of discernment in a clear, loving, non-"preachy" book. See scripture in a new way! Have your bible ready and your life will be changed in a beautiful way.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JBMorr
- 06-15-18
thought provoking and honest
I found this book to be honest and thought provoking. Even if you don't agree with all that is said, it is important to listen to others' points of view. it has changed my thought processes as a middle aged believer.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Really!
- 09-27-20
not a biblical view
lopsided points of view, the guy that wrote the book doesn't believe The Holy Bible is the instant word of God.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful