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A Sharp Compassion: 7 Hard Words to Heal Our Insecurities and Free Us from Offense
According to Google, the phrase “I’m offended” has increased in usage by more than 5,600% in just the past century. Humans have always taken offense, but never have we been so obsessed with it. Offense stunts our conversations and divides our relationships. It infects our families, politics, entertainment, and churches. Yet few seem to be asking why or what it might be costing us.
If you trace the offense deep enough, you’ll find a culture and our individual lives drowning in insecurity. For all our self-help, self-affirming, and self-esteem rhetoric, we can’t seem to overcome it. Just beneath our awareness, our insecurities distort our desires, poison our relationships, and leave us increasingly sensitive to offense. But there is a worse consequence.
Offense makes it harder to hear the truth. It can even prevent you from hearing Jesus’s good, but sometimes hard, words.
A Sharp Compassion offers readers a closer look at some of Jesus’ most challenging words. Through a careful study of the conversations in which Jesus offended, you will discover a savior willing to risk offending you to heal you from your deepest insecurities. Because his love is great, his truths are often hard, and his compassion sharp. But perhaps it’s Jesus’ hard words we need most right now.
If you trace the offense deep enough, you’ll find a culture and our individual lives drowning in insecurity. For all our self-help, self-affirming, and self-esteem rhetoric, we can’t seem to overcome it. Just beneath our awareness, our insecurities distort our desires, poison our relationships, and leave us increasingly sensitive to offense. But there is a worse consequence.
Offense makes it harder to hear the truth. It can even prevent you from hearing Jesus’s good, but sometimes hard, words.
A Sharp Compassion offers readers a closer look at some of Jesus’ most challenging words. Through a careful study of the conversations in which Jesus offended, you will discover a savior willing to risk offending you to heal you from your deepest insecurities. Because his love is great, his truths are often hard, and his compassion sharp. But perhaps it’s Jesus’ hard words we need most right now.
- GenresChristian
218 pages, Paperback
Published September 9, 2024
8 people are currently reading
1621 people want to read
About the author
Chase Replogle
3 books29 followersChase Replogle is the pastor of Bent Oak Church in Springfield, Missouri. He holds a degree in Biblical Studies, an M.A. in New Testament from The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, and a D.Min. in The Sacred Art of Writing from Western Theological Seminary.
Chase is the author of The 5 Masculine Instincts and A Sharp Compassion. His work draws from history, psychology, literature, and a rich narrative approach to Scripture to help readers think more deeply about faith and life.
His work has been featured on Good Morning American, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Ekstasis, Bible Engagement Project, and Influence Magazine. In addition, he hosts the Pastor Writer Podcast (pastorwriter.com), where he interviews Christian authors on writing and publishing. A native of the Ozark woods, he enjoys being outdoors with his wife and two kids, sailing, playing the guitar (badly), and quail hunting with his bird dog Millie.
Chase is the author of The 5 Masculine Instincts and A Sharp Compassion. His work draws from history, psychology, literature, and a rich narrative approach to Scripture to help readers think more deeply about faith and life.
His work has been featured on Good Morning American, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Ekstasis, Bible Engagement Project, and Influence Magazine. In addition, he hosts the Pastor Writer Podcast (pastorwriter.com), where he interviews Christian authors on writing and publishing. A native of the Ozark woods, he enjoys being outdoors with his wife and two kids, sailing, playing the guitar (badly), and quail hunting with his bird dog Millie.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 6, 2024
I picked up Chase’s first book, The Five Masculine Instincts, on a complete whim and was shocked to find it one of the best and most important books on christian manhood that I have ever read. He shared ideas in there that I had never encountered before and reading that book genuinely changed my life.
So, when Chase was kind enough to offer me a pre-release copy of his next book, I jumped at the chance, and desperately tried to curb my extremely high expectations of it. As depressing as it is to admit, I’ve been burned more than a few times by people who allowed God to create one amazing work through them, and then completely bungled their second attempt through misguided striving to produce something from their own strength and wisdom.
I am beyond pleased to report that Chase did the exact opposite of that! In my opinion, he humbled himself before the Lord, submitted himself to delivering God’s timely, corrective word, and wrote the single most important book for any Christian to read in our modern times.
I say this without any hyperbole or hype - if I could urge every single Christian to read only ONE book this year, it would be this one.
It is that important.
It is that good.
I have been impacted by the Holy Spirit’s correcting and confirming word every day since I first picked up this book and I am beyond grateful for the honor of getting to read it early.
Chase is a man who has obviously allowed himself to be cut deeply by the sword of Jesus’ offense and who has been forever changed because of the experience. I am intimately familiar with the pain of that experience and the peace which follows, and I could not offer you a better guide into letting Christ do the same work inside of your heart.
Buy this book.
Then buy a copy a friend.
I promise you will not regret it.
Favorite Quote: “We are experts at recognizing everything that is wrong with our world, but how rarely do we find a reason to turn that same critical eye of investigation toward our own heart and inner lives?”
So, when Chase was kind enough to offer me a pre-release copy of his next book, I jumped at the chance, and desperately tried to curb my extremely high expectations of it. As depressing as it is to admit, I’ve been burned more than a few times by people who allowed God to create one amazing work through them, and then completely bungled their second attempt through misguided striving to produce something from their own strength and wisdom.
I am beyond pleased to report that Chase did the exact opposite of that! In my opinion, he humbled himself before the Lord, submitted himself to delivering God’s timely, corrective word, and wrote the single most important book for any Christian to read in our modern times.
I say this without any hyperbole or hype - if I could urge every single Christian to read only ONE book this year, it would be this one.
It is that important.
It is that good.
I have been impacted by the Holy Spirit’s correcting and confirming word every day since I first picked up this book and I am beyond grateful for the honor of getting to read it early.
Chase is a man who has obviously allowed himself to be cut deeply by the sword of Jesus’ offense and who has been forever changed because of the experience. I am intimately familiar with the pain of that experience and the peace which follows, and I could not offer you a better guide into letting Christ do the same work inside of your heart.
Buy this book.
Then buy a copy a friend.
I promise you will not regret it.
Favorite Quote: “We are experts at recognizing everything that is wrong with our world, but how rarely do we find a reason to turn that same critical eye of investigation toward our own heart and inner lives?”
October 29, 2024
I appreciate this book. It challenged me in several ways and encouraged me to thicken my skin when it comes to criticism and offense. The author does a good job at pointing to Christ and reminding the reader that true spiritual growth comes from Him. I found the topic of this book to be interesting and different than what I’m used to, and it was refreshing.
I gave it four stars instead of five for two reasons.
1) There are so, so many quotes in here. I have not counted how many authors, theologians, historians, and philosophers were mentioned, but it has to be several dozen. I found this to be a bit much, it felt like a lot to wade through. I would have liked to have heard more directly from the author himself.
2) Some of the people who were quoted come from questionable backgrounds/theological positions. I enjoyed seeing names like Augustine and Chalmers and others, but was hesitant about reading long quotations from the perspective of a few notable atheists and agnostics. I personally don’t want to read about Genesis from an atheist. But at the same time, I can admire Replogle’s effort to broaden horizons and not just stay in one bubble. We have much to learn from a variety of people, I’m just hesitant about certain perspectives.
All that to say, I enjoyed this book and am grateful for the opportunity to read it. Thanks Chase!
Soli Deo Gloria
I gave it four stars instead of five for two reasons.
1) There are so, so many quotes in here. I have not counted how many authors, theologians, historians, and philosophers were mentioned, but it has to be several dozen. I found this to be a bit much, it felt like a lot to wade through. I would have liked to have heard more directly from the author himself.
2) Some of the people who were quoted come from questionable backgrounds/theological positions. I enjoyed seeing names like Augustine and Chalmers and others, but was hesitant about reading long quotations from the perspective of a few notable atheists and agnostics. I personally don’t want to read about Genesis from an atheist. But at the same time, I can admire Replogle’s effort to broaden horizons and not just stay in one bubble. We have much to learn from a variety of people, I’m just hesitant about certain perspectives.
All that to say, I enjoyed this book and am grateful for the opportunity to read it. Thanks Chase!
Soli Deo Gloria
October 9, 2024
Absolutely wonderful read !
Read
April 22, 2025Strength: this book makes Girard easier to understand. It correctly identifies offense as stemming from conflicts of identity. In that sense, the book is less about offense than it is selflessness. Only by losing one’s life does one find it, after all. The theology is strong, and Replogle is clearly well-read: in addition to Girard, he references Dante, Lewis, Tolkien, modern evangelists, and both OT and NT in great depth. He references the "He Gets Us" campaign, as well as lovingly criticizes many assumptions of the current church-building zeitgeist.
Weakness: this book does not expand on Girard much--in fact, I felt like I was reading a more verbose version of "I See Satan Fall Like Lightning" (which is saying something, because even that book was a tad repetitive; Girard got leniency for at least pointing out something new). It's not just that the book is padded with more examples and anecdotes than it needs; the prose itself says in three sentences what it could say in one. This sort of repetition, with an emphasis on emotionally hammering in the point, is somewhat in vogue in nonfiction these days, and a personal pet peeve of mine in lectures/sermons/books/literally anything.
Recommendation: if someone has never read Girard before, I can see this book as being a more digestible entryway into mimetic theory as a method of exegesis than his seminal work. It is otherwise difficult for me to think of a specific audience to whom I would recommend this. It is a hard thing to admit about a book of Christian nonfiction: I agree with everything Replogle says here, and so I feel a little bad admitting I didn't quite enjoy the book itself. That said, the book's website (same URL as the title, just add .com) does have a nifty little assessment that can be fairly convicting. If that quiz feels, dare I say, 'offensive,' perhaps this WOULD be a beneficial book for that person.
Weakness: this book does not expand on Girard much--in fact, I felt like I was reading a more verbose version of "I See Satan Fall Like Lightning" (which is saying something, because even that book was a tad repetitive; Girard got leniency for at least pointing out something new). It's not just that the book is padded with more examples and anecdotes than it needs; the prose itself says in three sentences what it could say in one. This sort of repetition, with an emphasis on emotionally hammering in the point, is somewhat in vogue in nonfiction these days, and a personal pet peeve of mine in lectures/sermons/books/literally anything.
Recommendation: if someone has never read Girard before, I can see this book as being a more digestible entryway into mimetic theory as a method of exegesis than his seminal work. It is otherwise difficult for me to think of a specific audience to whom I would recommend this. It is a hard thing to admit about a book of Christian nonfiction: I agree with everything Replogle says here, and so I feel a little bad admitting I didn't quite enjoy the book itself. That said, the book's website (same URL as the title, just add .com) does have a nifty little assessment that can be fairly convicting. If that quiz feels, dare I say, 'offensive,' perhaps this WOULD be a beneficial book for that person.
April 10, 2025
In giving this three stars I am being generous.
As an idea, as a statement--disciples of Christ must be willing to offend and be offended--I love it and I couldn't agree more. As a written book intended for reading I can't really endorse it.
Part of that is probably my own personal tastes. I have a bit of a pet peeve about pastors (about middle management in general) in that it seems like most, if not all, use as many words as they can to say very little.
This book is unfocused, rambling, repetitive, poorly edited, and way, way too long. It's jam-packed with quotes and artlessly padded out like a college essay trying to reach an assignment's word count quota.
It's right, the theology and teaching is mostly sound, but that doesn't make it a good book.
As an idea, as a statement--disciples of Christ must be willing to offend and be offended--I love it and I couldn't agree more. As a written book intended for reading I can't really endorse it.
Part of that is probably my own personal tastes. I have a bit of a pet peeve about pastors (about middle management in general) in that it seems like most, if not all, use as many words as they can to say very little.
This book is unfocused, rambling, repetitive, poorly edited, and way, way too long. It's jam-packed with quotes and artlessly padded out like a college essay trying to reach an assignment's word count quota.
It's right, the theology and teaching is mostly sound, but that doesn't make it a good book.
September 11, 2024
How easily are you offended? In A Sharp Compassion, Chase Replogle shares seven hard words to heal our insecurities and free us from offense.
Growth and Healing
The topics covered are on offense, insecurity, obsession, imitation, affirmation, accusation, and healing. These are biblical themes that Replogle proves to be relevant and important to tackle today. This book is brilliantly written. I have imagined all of these stories about Jesus before — from Jesus turning water to wine to Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman — but now I feel like I’ve seen them after having read this book.
Replogle is an incredibly gifted writer. He explains deep spiritual ideas in a way that is easy to understand, making the book approachable and hopeful – offering real healing and growth. Replogle helps readers face their vulnerabilities with kindness, and I was encouraged to find true spiritual strength through Christ’s love.
The Sword Does Not Dull
I was most moved on the chapter of insecurity. Replogle speaks of our impulse to collect — not just physical things, but we collect emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. I was called out on collecting titles, influence, and competence. I am compelled to embrace my insecurity and come to Christ in a posture of need.
This is a book you’ll want to return to, as the Holy Spirit continues to work in your soul. Replogle writes with lasting insights and encouragement that stay with you long after you’ve finished reading – Christ’s sharp compassion does not go dull.
I received a media copy of A Sharp Compassion and this is my honest review.
Growth and Healing
The topics covered are on offense, insecurity, obsession, imitation, affirmation, accusation, and healing. These are biblical themes that Replogle proves to be relevant and important to tackle today. This book is brilliantly written. I have imagined all of these stories about Jesus before — from Jesus turning water to wine to Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman — but now I feel like I’ve seen them after having read this book.
Replogle is an incredibly gifted writer. He explains deep spiritual ideas in a way that is easy to understand, making the book approachable and hopeful – offering real healing and growth. Replogle helps readers face their vulnerabilities with kindness, and I was encouraged to find true spiritual strength through Christ’s love.
The Sword Does Not Dull
I was most moved on the chapter of insecurity. Replogle speaks of our impulse to collect — not just physical things, but we collect emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. I was called out on collecting titles, influence, and competence. I am compelled to embrace my insecurity and come to Christ in a posture of need.
This is a book you’ll want to return to, as the Holy Spirit continues to work in your soul. Replogle writes with lasting insights and encouragement that stay with you long after you’ve finished reading – Christ’s sharp compassion does not go dull.
I received a media copy of A Sharp Compassion and this is my honest review.
June 15, 2025
"A Sharp Compassion" by Chase Replogle blew me away. I loved how it showed Jesus using offense—not to hurt, but to spark growth and reflection. It really made me think about how powerful and, at times, dangerous offense can be if not handled with care. This book is eye-opening, thought-provoking, and definitely worth the read!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews