Next Step - February 28

I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly. -John 10:10

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1


What is the good life?

That question is one that everybody, in every society asks; who is well off, who is blessed, who is happy? Much of our lives consist of making choices and taking paths so that we will arrive at "the good life." Movies, books, advertisers, even our family of origin send us strong messages telling us what "it" is.

Likewise, the Bible tells us what the good life is. Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John, that He came so that we may have an abundant life -- a good (better than good) life. Not just a good spiritual life, but a good life, period. Jesus makes it clear throughout the pages of Scripture that He does not just invite us into a spiritual life, but into a whole, connected life -- body, mind and soul. He longs for you to experience a good, an amazing, an abundant, life.

Paul, in his letter to the Galatian churches says, that as we connect to Jesus and trust Him as our savior, that we are set free, total and complete freedom. Free to be connected to God so that the things we do will be the things that flow from a centered and connected life, a life connected with God, and to other people, instead of a life of striving, earning, and chasing. As we connect to and trust Jesus, as we seek Him, He promises that we will be changed. But, transformation – the realization of the life that we were meant to live, the good life -- cannot happen on our own, we can’t see where we are missing it, we’re too close. That’s why only Jesus has the power to save, only Jesus has the power to heal, only Jesus has the power to set us free. The good life is bought by the good news of grace; it is not a religious thing or a church thing but a real everyday life thing – a real good life, that’s available to anybody who wants it, through Jesus.

So, a couple of questions:

- How would you define the good life?
- Do believe it is possible for us to live the good life?
- Are you living the good life now?
- Are you on a path towards the good life?
- If not, what might you change to get on that path?
- What confuses you, what challenges you, what gives you joy? Discuss this with someone or let me know.

Blessings of peace, hope and love

Next Step - February 21

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all. - Galatians 1:6-7

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. - 1 John 5:20-21

Hi Everybody

Have you turned to a different gospel -- which is really no gospel at all? Are you keeping yourself from idols?

If most of us were asked these questions I think we would either be confused or annoyed -- perhaps both. "Of course not, a different gospel? Idols?" I think we would quickly reject the idea. But, I think we would actually reject it too quickly.

In the course of each day, I think most of us are tempted to find our salvation in idols, functional saviors. An idol is any created thing that takes the place of God. It's anything other than God that you make an ultimate thing. It's anything in your life that is so central to you that if you lose it you don't have any meaning; you can't do without it. Usually they are good things -- family, work, success, comfort, beauty, academic or financial success, to name a few. They are good things that we allow to become ultimate things. And when they become ultimate things, we rely on them for our well-being, and we are prevented from truly experiencing God and those good things that He gives us. They become a different gospel, they become idols.

Tim Keller, a pastor in NYC, suggests that all of the things that we do but do not want to do, all of our sins can be traced to four basic idols: Comfort, Power, Control and Acceptance. Think of a situation that you sin or a time that you behave in a way that you wish that you hadn't. Which one of these four idols does it relate to? Why is that idol important to you? How does that idol take the place of God?

When you realize the root of the behavior and see how that root attempts to steal grace and take the place of God, it is a lot easier to allow God to change the behavior by changing the root idol. Give it a try, let me know what you discover.

Buckets of Grace -- week one

This past Sunday, we started a new series called "Buckets of Grace." During this series, we will spend the next six weeks looking at the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the churches in the area of Galatia (in what is today Southern Turkey). If you have not read the letter, I'd encourage you to read it. It is six chapters long and will take about 15 to 20 minutes. Maybe read it through several times during the series. Make a note of any questions that come to mind, and feel free to let me know what they are.

The theme of Galatians is grace and freedom -- two interconnected things. The Apostle Paul says in his letter to the Ephesian churches, "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. (Ephesians 2:8-9) He says in the letter that we are studying, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1) Grace -- a gift from God, freedom -- relieved from slavery to the many things that keep us from truly experiencing Him (often the things we think we need to do to earn God's love or approval). Yesterday I defined religion as "Because of what I do, God will (might) accept me," and the Gospel as "God accepts me. And, that affects what I do."

- Have you thought about those differences before?
- Do you agree with those distinctions?
- What questions do these distinctions bring to mind?
- Would you say that your life is more defined by religion or by gospel?

Next Sunday we will talk more about the idea that God actually wants us to lose our religion (using my definition of religion).

Jesus does not give us a checklist of do's and don'ts in order to be a good Christian. Instead, He wants you to be so overwhelmed by the fact that He loves you and invites you to follow Him and partner with Him in demonstrating His Kingdom in your life, that it cannot help but influence your thoughts, choices and behaviors. That, is the outworking of grace, that is the inflowing of freedom.

- Do you agree with that statement?
- Does it give you a sense of freedom? Or does it make you anxious? Why?

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