{"id":46154,"date":"2025-08-29T12:18:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T16:18:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=46154"},"modified":"2025-08-29T12:18:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T16:18:59","slug":"the-summer-i-turned-pretty-stars-bold-gospel-message-you-cant-be-a-lukewarm-christian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2025\/08\/the-summer-i-turned-pretty-stars-bold-gospel-message-you-cant-be-a-lukewarm-christian.html","title":{"rendered":"‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Star’s Bold Gospel Message: “You Can’t Be a Lukewarm Christian”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Kathy Hutchins \/ Shutterstock.com | Inset: @confidenceheist \/ TikTok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gavin Casalegno may be known for his breakout role on the hit Prime Video series The Summer I Turned Pretty,<\/em> but behind the camera, the 25-year-old actor is just as passionate about sharing his faith as he is about his craft.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Casalegno was stopped by social media influencer David Carmi, who often asks strangers a simple but powerful question: “What makes you confident?”<\/em> For Casalegno, the answer flowed from his faith.<\/p>\n

“My identity,” he said. “It’s who God says I am, and I don’t believe what anyone else says about me. I just believe what God says about me.”<\/p>\n

The actor admitted that confidence and clarity of expression didn’t come overnight. “It’s taken a lot of growth and a lot of hardship,” he explained. “But when your faith isn’t in temporary things, it makes life easier. It makes you more confident to be able to express yourself better.”<\/p>\n

Living With Purpose<\/h3>\n

Casalegno encouraged fans to pursue purpose in everything they do. “If it’s purposeless,” he said, “it’s not gonna have the effect and the fire that you want it to have.” For him, that sense of direction comes from a relationship with God, not from fleeting fame or success.<\/p>\n

Calling Out Lukewarm Christianity<\/h3>\n

This isn’t the first time Casalegno has opened up about his beliefs. On TikTok, he’s used a secondary account to share short reflections about faith, prayer<\/a>, and what it means to follow Jesus truly.<\/p>\n

In one video that struck a chord with many, Casalegno issued a passionate challenge:<\/p>\n

“You can’t just be a lukewarm Christian. God wants all of you, not just the Sunday version.”<\/p>\n

He went on to share from Revelation 3:14-22, where Jesus rebukes the church in Laodicea for their spiritual complacency. Casalegno explained that God desires wholehearted devotion and invited his viewers to seek Him daily.<\/p>\n

“All you have to do is repent and be eager for the Lord, and hear Him knocking on your heart and say, ‘God, I allow You in. I accept You in. Come, let’s spend time together. Feast with me,” he said. “And Jesus is saying, ‘I will come and I will feast with you and you with Me.'”<\/p>\n

A Gospel Invitation<\/h3>\n

Casalegno’s short reflection turned into a Gospel message as he described how prayer and the daily pursuit of Jesus bring a personal encounter that fuels faith.<\/p>\n

“That encounter will give you more eagerness to follow Him and do what is right,” he explained. “It will stir more zeal for repentance \u2026 and asking the Lord for forgiveness.”<\/p>\n

Using Fame For Faith<\/h3>\n

While Hollywood often pressures young stars to compromise their values, Casalegno is choosing to use his platform to point people to Christ. His boldness is a refreshing reminder that even in the entertainment industry, God can raise up voices to share His truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gavin Casalegno may be known for his breakout role on the hit Prime Video series The Summer I Turned Pretty, but behind the camera, the 25-year-old actor is just as passionate about sharing his faith as he is about his craft. Earlier this year, Casalegno was stopped by social media influencer David Carmi, who often…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":46157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\n'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Star's Bold Gospel Message: "You Can't Be a Lukewarm Christian"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Actor Gavin Casalegno boldly shares his faith, urging fans not to be \u201clukewarm Christians\u201d but to fully follow Jesus.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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