When Hope’s Defense Becomes an Offense to Real Faith
A closer look at the hidden dangers of Jackie Hill Perry’s Passion 2025 sermon: fear-based messaging disguised as hope twists faith into control and suppresses authentic spiritual growth.
I recently learned about a conference that took place in January 2025. It’s not new—it’s been around since the late ‘90s—but I’ve been distant from it for the past few years as I’ve deeply explored what it means to have faith without fear.
That phrase might sound like one of those thought-stopping clichés I mentioned in my last stack. But I mean it exactly as it’s written. My spiritual journey has truly evolved as I’ve intentionally pulled fear out of my faith.
I’ve heard from several religious commentators that this is actually a bad thing.
For many, the fear of judgment makes the deconstruction process feel impossible. Living out your faith in an aligned way can quickly be labeled as sinful, self-serving, or simply a way to justify getting what you want. That’s terrifying—especially when all you truly care about is following Jesus. The Jesus who flipped tables and called for an end to oppression. The Jesus who offered hope with the message that you already belong and that the kingdom of heaven is already here.
A lot of my clients come to me in this place of fear. What I’ve worked through—both personally and with them—is recognizing that fear was part of the setup.
The Set Up
This year, 40,000 teens gathered at the Passion Conference.
If you look up the promo video on their website, you’ll find quotes like:
“It isn’t about a conference or event. It is really just all about Jesus.” – Passion Promo
“The thing that draws us all together for Passion is the name and the fame of Jesus.” – Passion Promo
“Passion was born not because we thought there needed to be a conference, but out of a burden we had for, at the time, twenty million college students in America. From day one, we have been praying for a spiritual awakening in this generation.” – Passion Promo
“And so I pray that people are going to find identity in Christ, find meaning in Christ, find purpose in Christ, find their passion in Christ, so that their lives can then count for the thing that matters most. And for us, we believe that is the glory of God. It matters more than everything else in life and in eternity. So if I can aim my life toward what matters most, guess what? My life matters most. And that is what Passion is all about.” – Passion Promo
Leveraging your life for “what matters most “:
The speaker I paid the most attention to at this year’s conference is someone I’ve been familiar with for a while—Jackie Hill Perry. She wrote a book about surrendering her sexuality to God and the intentional choice to deny her desires for His glory.
Her sermon, In Defense of Hope, began by acknowledging the rise of hopelessness, despair, and depression. She framed hope as essential, then built a case for remaining steadfast in belief—that God will change us because of the promises in the resurrection—rather than giving up too soon and being led into idolatry.
And that isn’t just my interpretation of her message. The official YouTube video is captioned with a summary that states as much.
Jackie Hill Perry’s sermon emphasizes that true hope is found in being anchored in God, but our impatience and misplaced desires often lead us astray. She warns that when we exchange the Creator for created things, we construct idols—hoping they can take God’s place. Our instincts naturally drift toward what is not Him, especially when we struggle to trust His timing. She challenges listeners with the question: Will you love Him while you wait? Even when God doesn’t remove the “thorn,” these moments reveal where our true allegiance lies. Many of God’s promises require hope to obtain, yet disappointment often stems from expecting things that Scripture never guaranteed we were entitled to (this part is really important). She cautions that introspection without hope can spiral into shame and pride, causing people to believe in their own brokenness more than they believe in God’s power to transform. When change feels impossible, endurance falters—leading some to abandon faith entirely, convinced they will never be different.
She puts it plainly:
“Some people are no longer Christians not because of some intellectual discovery or some exegetical flaw that they think they found. Those are arguments they use to distract themselves from the real reason. The real reason people stop enduring is because their depravity led them to reject hope.”
Putting the Fear in Faith
Rather than engaging with the real reasons people leave, this framing rebrands deconstruction as a spiritual failure. It’s a tactic of control—because if you can convince people that questioning their faith is simply giving in to their depravity, they will be too afraid to doubt. This is how a difficult and deeply personal journey is discredited. It ignores the reality that many people walk away not because they are weak, but because the rigid framework of their faith does not bend.
This was an observation made by @berecker on his
What I want to add to his accurate point is commentary on the subtle words used in her set up for stating “The real reason people stop enduring is because their depravity led them to reject hope”.
The Subtle Manipulation of Hope
Jackie presents hope as essential to endurance in faith. On the surface, this seems like a positive encouragement—hope is often seen as a lifeline in difficult times. However, a closer look at her words reveals a more troubling message.
At minute 16:24, she states:
"There are some disappointments in your life that came by way of you expecting stuff that scripture never told you you could be entitled to... It is our hope in these promises that help us keep running in the right direction."
Jackie’s framing of hope makes it clear that faith is not just about trust—it’s about staying in line. She tells her audience that disappointment comes from expecting things God never promised, subtly shifting the blame onto the believer. If prayers go unanswered or struggles persist, it’s not due to an unjust system or harmful theology—it’s because their expectations were wrong. This message reinforces a faith built on fear: the fear of wanting too much, questioning too deeply, or hoping for the wrong things. It keeps people tethered to certainty, not because it nourishes them, but because stepping outside of it feels like a betrayal of God himself.
The Fear of Doubt and Self-Discovery
At minute 18:16, Jackie warns:
"There is room for healthy introspection in the Christian life, but when it is done without the presence of hope, you will descend into shame and pride in such a way that you will believe hell before you believe scripture… If you start to believe that you cannot actually change, you’ll say, ‘You know what? I’ll just be the person that I think I actually am.’"
The caution she gives to not let your introspection lead you to shame and pride initially sounds good. It sounds like she is encouraging you to put off shame and the belief that you are so broken that God can not transform you. At first, it sounds like love and light to have hope in God’s ability to change you. But if you listen carefully to the subtext, it is dark.
Jackie’s message reinforces the idea that questioning one’s faith or struggling with aspects of belief is dangerous. She argues that without hope, introspection will inevitably lead to shame and a rejection of faith itself. The implication is clear: doubt must be feared because it threatens endurance.
Rather than acknowledging that genuine self-reflection can lead to a more authentic and meaningful faith, this framing pressures believers to avoid questioning altogether. She warns that without hope, people will resign themselves to who they "think they actually are"—as if recognizing one's true self outside of evangelical doctrine is a failure rather than a natural part of growth.
This framing primes believers to fear doubt, positioning it as the first step toward abandoning faith entirely. It creates a false dichotomy: either you believe unwaveringly, or you are slipping into despair. Instead of making room for a faith that evolves, it pressures people to suppress their questions, reinforcing fear as the foundation of belief.
Why This is Dangerous for Young Adults
Jackie delivered this message to 40,000 young adults, many of whom are at a pivotal stage of forming their identities and beliefs. Her sermon reinforces the idea that any self-exploration outside the narrow confines of evangelicalism is idolatry. It tells them that their thoughts, their identities, and even their evolving faith are not valid.
The Passion conference specifically targets young adults who are still shaping their autonomy. They are trusting these speakers to help them grow towards the idea of making Jesus famous because it is “what matters most”. Messages like Jackie’s discourage critical thinking and self-trust, making it harder for individuals to explore their convictions on their own terms. By framing doubt as spiritual failure and introspection as a potential gateway to sin, these teachings create an environment where young adults are more vulnerable to control, manipulation, and self-distrust. Instead of fostering genuine faith, this kind of messaging traps people in cycles of fear—fear of their own thoughts, fear of questioning, and fear of stepping outside rigid structures, even when those structures are harmful.
Getting Fear Out of Faith
True faith shouldn’t be rooted in fear. A healthy spiritual journey allows room for doubt, questioning, and personal growth, recognizing that uncertainty is not a threat but an invitation to deeper understanding.
Instead of suppressing doubt, we can engage with it honestly, seeing it as a natural and meaningful part of faith. Faith without fear means trusting that your worth isn’t tied to rigid obedience but to the deeper, more authentic process of becoming who you are meant to be.
For young adults stepping into their own beliefs, the challenge isn’t in holding onto fear but in learning to trust themselves—their intuition, their questions, and their ability to engage with faith on their own terms.
Considerations for you Mental and Spiritual Health
How has fear played a role in your faith journey?
Have you ever been told that questioning or doubting was dangerous? How did that shape your relationship with faith?
What messages about hope and change have you internalized?
Have you felt pressure to believe that your struggles must resolve in a specific way for your faith to be valid?
How do you distinguish between genuine faith and control tactics?
What’s the difference between a belief that empowers you and one that makes you distrust yourself?
What does spiritual autonomy look like for you?
If fear wasn’t dictating your choices, how might your relationship with faith, doubt, or personal growth shift?
How can you cultivate a faith (or worldview) that embraces uncertainty?
What would it look like to explore faith, healing, and growth in a way that allows room for your full humanity?
What does hope mean to you outside of fear and control?
Have you ever experienced hope that felt freeing rather than conditional? How might you redefine hope in a way that nurtures your growth rather than limits it?