Grace Roots

Amen Joel. Sometimes we determine the value of som...

2009-07-22T02:39:49.399-05:00

Amen Joel. Sometimes we determine the value of something to someone by finding out how much he is willing to pay for it.
what is our value, are we worthy? we are worth the blood and life of His precious Son Jesus. God sacrificed His Son for us. that act shows that we are worthy in God's eyes. we are precious to Him.

Thanks Sis!

2009-07-21T11:23:36.557-05:00

Thanks Sis!

Great post!!!

2009-07-21T06:52:09.763-05:00

Great post!!!

Thanks for the giggles bro.

2009-07-20T14:35:52.790-05:00

Thanks for the giggles bro.

Yes but she hasn't broken me of my love for hair m...

2009-07-20T10:43:46.359-05:00

Yes but she hasn't broken me of my love for hair metal. :)

Has Tracy broken you yet of leaving the ice cube t...

2009-07-20T10:07:35.447-05:00

Has Tracy broken you yet of leaving the ice cube trays on the tv set ???

Terry, I like your image of the movie set. Many ...

2009-07-18T22:47:16.274-05:00

Terry,

I like your image of the movie set. Many dreams, such as the ones I was referring to here, are only illusions. Whether it be controlling others or using them for our own ministry aspirations, or in relationships or job settings, etc, letting go of the lies and manipulations that we're using to prop ourselves up truly can be the beginning of planting the true seeds of true God-given dreams and desires.

Aida, Someone sent me a message a while ago askin...

2009-07-18T22:42:37.570-05:00

Aida,

Someone sent me a message a while ago asking about the 'rules' of the Bible, and I responded in a somewhat similar fashion as your comments here. What I get out of Paul's "exhortations" is that that's what it can look like when the grace-life is lived out. Not rules or principles for us to "try to follow." Indeed, we are truly all unique, and we need to give one another much breathing room to be who they were created to be, rather than trying to get everyone to conform to "our" way.

Matthew,

I'm with you on that! I think there's a legitimate place for calling people on Grace-Phariseeism, but you're absolutely correct, we don't have to feel that we need to sit back and just watch legalism or other lies walk on by without us ever confronting it. Truly, the gospel is offensive, and there's no need to hold back just because someone is offended by it.

Again, I think our individual gifts and personalities, etc, play a huge role in all of this, that is, in how we individually interact with others.

Joel, Very perceptive. Far better to let a dream...

2009-07-18T17:27:08.134-05:00

Joel,

Very perceptive.

Far better to let a dream die than to keep it going by perpetuating lies.

Such dreams are like the storefronts on an old Western movie set. You walk through the door and see that it's just an open field with support lumber holding up an illusion.

If you let in the truth that sets free, the "dream" may die, but the resulting seed that falls to the ground may sprout a real dream, supported by truth.

You described exactly how I feel because sometimes...

2009-07-18T15:21:00.363-05:00

You described exactly how I feel because sometimes people say its being a 'grace pharisee' to tell people that they're wrong. While I don't believe in forcing anything on someone who refuses to believe, I also do not believe in the idea that we're suppose to sit back and try not to offend anyone. Bologna.

I hate America's attitude of not offending anyone. Of course we aren't to be malicious, but if someone is offended by the Gospel, that isn't my sin. Its their own.

Great post, Joel, and I agree. I don't think the ...

2009-07-18T09:50:51.304-05:00

Great post, Joel, and I agree. I don't think the Bible was ever meant to be an instruction book for how we are supposed to act. Instead, I believe it's a record of other believers' journeys and what they learned. We can take what they learned to help us see the unique way that we've been created and how we are to act based on our own uniqueness.

As you said, each situation demands individual action. No two circumstances are alike. We've just got to care enough about the other person to share in line with where they're at and that will probably be different each time.

Anonymous... I'm glad you found it too... it truly...

2009-07-18T07:24:59.108-05:00

Anonymous... I'm glad you found it too... it truly is a great song!

I was thinking about this song recently, but I cou...

2009-07-18T00:36:00.735-05:00

I was thinking about this song recently, but I couldn't remember the title, just the chorus. It was the main song for Centri-Break MANY years ago. I am so glad I found it. :)

...my blood pressure doesn't need the help." Ha h...

2009-07-17T22:10:56.288-05:00

...my blood pressure doesn't need the help."

Ha ha, I hear ya!

And yep, you're right. I still find myself trying to have intellectual arguments (exchange of ideas) with people at times, but not nearly as much as I used to. Sometimes it's fun or interesting, and might even be thought provoking, but so many times it truly is futile, as you say.

Looks like you had fun discussion :) I wish I wou...

2009-07-17T20:07:01.752-05:00

Looks like you had fun discussion :) I wish I would have been sooner to the party. Maybe it was good that I missed it, my blood pressure doesn't need the help. There is one thing I have noticed, atheists and legalists tend to have the same debating style. I also noticed that Judah had a Jewish visitor arguing against Jesus being the Messiah. It was interesting, but futile; people are not convinced by intellectual arguments.

Gary

yep!

2009-07-16T01:21:46.500-05:00

yep!

Very well stated, I think anyone on earth could un...

2009-07-14T20:43:47.750-05:00

Very well stated, I think anyone on earth could understand this after reading your post! Loved it!!

If you truly believe something, your actions will ...

2009-07-13T10:27:00.057-05:00

If you truly believe something, your actions will naturally reflect your belief.

There is so much truth in that one statement. It is when I truly believe that my righteousness is on the sole basis of His finished work, I wouldn't struggle to do the righteous acts to show off my faith. In fact, the righteous acts will naturally come from me BECAUSE I understand that I am already righteous.

Religion reverses it and it never works. I have tried it and it was a terrible life of lies.

Such great points, Matthew. I think you're right....

2009-07-10T13:29:07.560-05:00

Such great points, Matthew. I think you're right. All too often it's really just a profession of faith, or lip service, but it's not actually rooted in real faith, and so works need to be mustered up to make it look real.

"As long as they can see you doing something..." Yep, that is performance-based Christianity, for sure, and not faith-based life in Christ. The foundation is completely different.

Couldn't have said it better. This is the way I al...

2009-07-10T09:39:57.113-05:00

Couldn't have said it better. This is the way I always hear that verse in James presented. Basically they say profess faith in Christ (whether you really have it or not is irrelevant) and just add works to that lip-service so it looks like the real thing. As long as they can see you doing something, they could careless where the zeal is coming from. They just want some zeal!

This is such a mind mess. People are saying faith, in itself is a work. Faith is NOT a work! "To the one who does not work but trusts him who justfies the ungodly..."

This is a very subtle way of introducing the heresy of galatianism to the Christian.

Tru Dat!

2009-07-10T04:31:50.261-05:00

Tru Dat!

I would be very careful about what you call rubbis...

2009-07-09T22:25:37.505-05:00

I would be very careful about what you call rubbish. Especially if you are referring to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Anonymous... Thank you for stopping by. Indeed, e...

2009-07-09T21:50:15.274-05:00

Anonymous... Thank you for stopping by. Indeed, each of us is a part of the body of Christ, and God is at work in each and every part of His body!

Amen brother, I am an introvert too. Realizing th...

2009-07-09T20:53:15.833-05:00

Amen brother, I am an introvert too. Realizing that Jesus uses us quiet people too, we are all part of the body of Christ. Thank you for the encouragement.

Thanks, Kat! I appreciate you stopping by!

2009-07-09T08:12:02.223-05:00

Thanks, Kat! I appreciate you stopping by!