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Blog Thoughts:
3/13/08
The church isn't messy enough. A nice presentation and appearance can lead to a false impression about God's grace. Grace is anything but clean and tidy. It's all about God loving us for who we are and not what we can offer. What we can offer is messed up actions, messed up feelings, messed up ideas ... a messed up life. But God loves us. His focus is not on what we have to offer. He doesn't need what we can offer, even if what we offered was perfect!
So, it appears, that grace is about what God has to offer. He loves us. Our mistakes are not capable of hurting God. He is a BIG God. But it does seem to pain God to see us caught up in our mistakes. His love for us will not allow Him to be satisfied with the condition in which He finds us. He wants what is best for us.
3/10/08
Take a look at the "Sermon On The Mount" (Matthew chapters 5-7). What is Jesus trying to do with His words in this message? Is He trying to cut us down once and for all? Aren't the Old Testament commandments hard enough without "piling on"? For example: Matthew 5:21-22 says, "You have heard that is was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment..." (NIV).
Is Jesus demanding even more of us? Well, maybe. But it doesn't seem that He would be demanding more in the way of perfect action or attitudes. He is obviously aware of our inability to succeed in these areas. He is aware of the TRUTH about us. Maybe Jesus wants us to be more aware of the TRUTH about us and about Him. That's a pretty good start for this message. Kinda like saying, "Just because you haven't broken a few commandments, don't think you are truly good".
Maybe we can view this message in another light. What is Jesus calling for, if not perfection? Read through these verses considering that Jesus wants us to show God's love and grace the way He shows love and grace. It's not enough to merely "not kill" someone. The goal is to love! God has called us to love Him and love others. He has not called us to be perfect, but He has called us to grow into a relationship with Him that leads to joining in with His goals.
Book Recommendations:
- The Dream Giver, Bruce Wilkerson
- Wild At Heart, John Eldredge
- Waking The Dead, John Eldredge
- Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller
- Confessions of a Pastor: Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God, Craig Groesche
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