Bible is Shockingly Honest and Gloriously Hopeful

Praying the gospel; JD Greear

Spiritual fruits do not develop in us as we focus on them; spiritual fruits come as we abide in Jesus (John 15:5). Spiritual “fruit” is much like physical “fruit.” When a husband and wife conceive physical “fruit” (i.e. a child), they are not thinking about the exact, scientific mechanics of making that child. They get caught up in a moment of loving intimacy with one another, and the fruit of that loving intimacy is a child. In the same way, spiritual fruits do not grow by focusing on fruit production, but by becoming intimate with the doctrines of the gospel.

Grow Your Fruit with the Gospel

Jesus said that saturating ourselves in the gospel, or “abiding” (lit., “making our home”) in it, is the way to abundant fruit. Sanctification is the daily process of pulling up the roots of our hearts from the flesh and grounding them in the soil of the gospel. Or, to change metaphors, we must send out missionaries to the unreached parts of our heart to preach the gospel and bring our heart under the subjugation of the gospel.

“

Things like radical generosity and audacious faith are not produced when we focus on them, but when we focus on the gospel.

”

A Prayer of God's Righteousness

About four years ago, I wrote a prayer for our church to help to this end. We often talk about “preaching the gospel to ourselves daily,” but how can you do that? This four-part prayer confronts us with the reality of God’s gift-righteousness and love:

1. “In Christ, there is nothing I could do that would make you love me more, and nothing I have done that makes you love me less.”

Pray about this “gift righteousness” of the gospel (2 Cor. 5:21) and go to war against the incipient works-righteousness hardwired into our hearts.

2. “Your presence and approval are all I need today for everlasting joy.”

Pray about this value of God’s presence in our lives. It’s one thing to know that Jesus is your possession; it’s another for that approval to have such weightiness in our hearts that our captivity to other idols is snapped.

3. “As you have been to me, so I will be to others.”

Pray about and consider the extravagant generosity of God toward us. His generosity toward us leads us to radical generosity toward others.

4. “As I pray, I’ll measure your compassion by the cross and your power by the resurrection.”

Pray that God would help you view the world through the lens of the gospel. Seeing the compassion and power of God revealed in the gospel produces bold, audacious faith in our hearts.

Six Ways of Minimizing Sin

1.Defending: When confronted, my tendency is to explain things away, talk about my successes, or justify my decisions. As a result, people are hesitant to approach me and I rarely have conversations about difficult things in my life.

2. Faking: I strive to keep up appearances and maintain a respectable image. As a result, not many people know the real me.

3. Hiding: I conceal as much as I can about my life, especially the "bad stuff." Hiding is different than faking because hiding is more about shame. I don't think people will accept or love the real me.

4. Exaggerating: I tend to think, and talk, more highly of myself than I ought. I make things, good and bad, out to be much bigger than they truly are (usually to get attention). As a result, things often get more attention than they deserve and have a way to making me stressed or anxious.

5. Blaming: I am quick to blame others for sin or circumstances. I have a difficult time 'owning' my contributions to sin or conflict. There is an element of pride that assumes it's not my fault and/or element of fear of rejection if it is my fault.

6. Downplaying: I tend to give little weight to sin or circumstances in my life, as if they are 'normal' or 'not that bad.' As a result, things often don't get the attention they deserve. They have a way of mounting to the point of being overwhelming.

The Gospel-Centered Life, Bob Thune and Will Walker

The area I most often minimize sin is in blaming. I can be quick to excuse my sin by finding the fault in the other person involved. Or maybe no one person is specifically involved, but rather a thing, or circumstance. In any case, it is sin. I am learning how to identify my sin, compare it to Christ atoning work on the cross, and confess it. The gospel becomes evermore AmAzInG as the reality of my sin is exposed and the holiness of God is revealed. The wonder of it all is that as the understanding of my sin and of God's holiness grows, my love and need for Jesus grows as well. Christ's sacrifice and His gracious work on my behalf become increasingly powerful and ultimately results in a heart that's changed. How about you... in what ways do you minimize sin? Let's together pray for the Holy Spirit to convict, grant us humbleness, and a repentant heart. Christ will be all the more glorious and beautiful.
"The cross looms larger and more central in my life as I rejoice in the Savior who died upon it."

AmAzInG Teaching 4.5.11

Last weekend we had Pastor Jeff Vanderstelt of SOMA come and teach on how to become fluent in the Gospel (filtering every aspect of every day through a gospel/biblical lens) and how to live on mission with the Gospel to call others to repentance and belief in Christ. I was challenged, changed, blessed, and inspired. God is so gracious to me, a sinner, and I look forward to see more areas of my life changed with the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the days/years ahead! I am so thankful I am not saved only upon my conversion, but also that I am being saved everyday, and I will be saved in the Final Day of Christ return. "In other words, in Christ we have been saved from the penalty of sin, we are being saved from it's affect on us, and we will be saved from it's eternal consequences because of God's power, no our own." Soma Communities

Here are some key points from the weekend that I wrote down and would like to share with you:
* Every Christian is empowered to do gospel ministry. My job is to grow up in Christ so that the church can grow up in Christ.
*Have I learned how to take very thought and action submitted to Christ Jesus in result of the gospel? How has the gospel affected every aspect of my life? Or has it?
*We are not only saved from death by the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also we are saved for something. Namely to spread the good news by living on mission.
*No one will want to grow-up in gospel fluency unless you have to or need to. We must live on mission to be brought back to our need for Christ in all things.
*We live our life under the dominate story we believe. This story will inform our daily decisions. Is your dominate story the eternal story of the Bible?
* Until the gospel story is known in your heart the 'false' story will 'seem' bigger and influence your life more than the true story for all creation.
*I believe that I have been given a new identity in Christ because of the gospel. I am now a part of God's family of missionary servants sent to make disciples who make disciples.
*I am more broken and sinful than I ever dared believe, and at the same time more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope, because of Jesus.

Here is the link to the sermon that I would encourage you all to listen to if you haven't already! Such rich truths in living the life God has called us to. Listen, learn, and be blessed.

More Snow today and tomorrow and the next day... 2.21.11

Well... snow greeted us this morning. How ironic since I just stated yesterday in my post that the snow was on it's way out! I heard we are to expect another 3-5 inches over the next couple days. Oh my.
In the meantime, this weather is keeping Niyah and I inside for extra 'mommy-daughter' reading, snuggling, and coloring time. So that is definitely benificial. :) I have been trying to keep in mind that these are my last few months with 'just me and her' before brother comes along. She will always have another sibling around once he comes... so now's the time to treasure these last moments with her being my 'only child'. She is quite the little colorer now. She is soooo proud of herself when she makes a mark on her page and exclaims, "momma or daddy or Nana, or Ella etc" and points at the squiggle line on her page. She loves to draw portraits apparently. It is very cute.

As winter seems to continue here in the Leavenworth woods of Washington I have been learning more about myself. And let me say, it is not all that good. In fact, I am down right even more selfish and full of pride than I have ever known. Thankfully I have a husband who is very patient and willing to teach me and remind me of the gospel. God is gracious to change my heart of stone to a heart of flesh. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. "Ezekiel 36:26.

I have also been reading a book by Bruce Ware on the Trinity. I have been amazed at how little I have known about the Triune God. Specifically how they relate to each other, how they relate to me, and what difference this makes in my life. It is definitely a book I'd recommend for all Christians to read. I will post some quotes from the book over the next week for you to see some of what I am learning as well.

Thankful for saving grace.

Been awhile... Here are Some thoughts

Well it surly has been awhile since I have updated my blog! Lots has been going on in our little family. Here are some highlights; We've moved to Wenatchee for two months to house sit, Carey started teaching at the River Academy, Carey preached on the book of Jonah at GCC for two weeks, I took over Carey's Riverside Property management, Niyah started walking, I helped coordinate the wedding of a delightful couple from church, GCC has launched into our Gospel Community group orientation meetings, and a beautiful fall fell right into our lives unexpectedly fast!~

Here are some of my thoughts--

The Lord has been so gracious during the past month. He is revealing in me the need for more reform, more growth, and more wisdom in my roles as wife and mother. I have much to learn in each new season of life that becomes reality for today. I have been challenged by current books, sermons, and discussions with my spouse and with friends as to how to rightfully apply the gospel to my life in ALL situations. My husband is very gracious with me. Yet another gift of the Lord's goodness in my life by giving me a husband who is patient with me and who leads by such humble, strong example.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is what saved me in the past, saves me in this moment, and will save me in the last day. The gospel of Jesus Christ is what gave me hope, gives me hope in this moment, and will give me hope in the last day. The gospel of Jesus Christ is what provided clarity of purpose, provides clarity of purpose in this moment, and will be the ultimate purpose in the last day. And the gospel of Jesus Christ gave me a new heart with new desires, gives me new desires in this moment, and will be the ultimate fulfillment of those desires in the last day.

It is very humbling to know that a lifetime of repentance and forgiveness marks my steps. The more I dive into the depths of the gospel the more I see the greatness of God and the undeserving salvation He has called me into. He sought me out of worldly lusts, self-righteous endeavors, and Pharisaical judgments into a life of freedom and an awareness of The True Story of the kingdom of God. "The gospel is good news--a message to be proclaimed, a truth to be taught, a word to be spoken, and a story to be told." Total Church, Tim chester and Steve Timmis

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8