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If I have not convinced you by now, you need to go and purchase Jesus , Continued by J. D. Greear.  It is a helpful book on the Holy Spirit and Christian life.  I definitely think it will be included in Go Deeper Class next year.  Here are more quotes from Chapters 6-7: A heart that truly understands the gospel overflows with gratefulness to God. Extravagant grace produces extravagant givers. Realizing the love of God for us produces love of God in us. God steers moving ships--ships driven by the winds of worship, gratefulness, love to God for what he's done, and compassion for those he cares about. Wonder at his sacrifice for me compels my sacrifice for him, making it a joy and delight. The Holy Spirit, you could say, is always leading to the cross or from it, to carry its message of healing to others. Our waiting is not passive, however; it is extremely active. Because we already have the Holy Spirit, we don't sit around in inactivity, waitin...

  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”                            (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Here is the final post by speaker/topic from Liberate 2015. Previous posts are organized the same way for the pre-conference and Thursday-Friday noon. Blessings! Eric Metaxas-"Transformed by Amazing Grace" here Ray Cortese-"It is Finished-The Present Power of These 3 Words" here Tullian Tchividjian-"It is Not Finished" here David Zahl-"It is Finished: The End of Score-Keeping" here Steve Brown-"Relax, It Really is Finished" here

I am continuing to provide notes from the Liberate 2015 speakers. This post includes those who spoke on Thursday night and Friday morning.  Be liberated as you read! Paul Tripp-"It is Finished: Good News For a Worn Out World" here J.D. Greear-"It is Finished: From Beginning to End" here Elyse Fitzpatrick-"It is Finished: The End of Our Identity Crisis" here Justin Holcomb-"Grace & Abuse" here Scotty Smith-Lunch Discussion here

While I was at Liberate 2015, I posted several quotes on the blog.  Below I have provided links to find specific pre-conference speakers more quickly.  I will post main conference speakers later. Enjoy! Steve Brown-"Is it finished for your church?" here Shari Thomas-"Is it finished for your relationships?" here Paul Tripp-"Is it finished for you?" here Scotty Smith-"Liberating the heart of the church" here Jono Linebaugh-"Liberating Preaching" here Jessica Thompson-"Liberating Kid's and Family Ministry" here

Be reminded of God's amazing grace for you.  After spending a week at Liberate, this song reminds me of all the good news that we heard.  Chris">http://vimeo.com/15338067">Chris Tomlin - Amazing Grace from Clube">http://vimeo.com/clube700">Clube 700 Brasil on Vimeo .https://vimeo.com">Vimeo.>

I am sitting in Ft. Lauderdale airport waiting to depart.  I wanted to jot down a few thoughts and reflections for Liberate 2015. I was thankful to have 7 others from Hesston MB join me this year.  I look forward to discussions with them moving forward. Here are a few take-aways or reflections: This is a repeat from last year.  I am loved, accepted, righteous, and approved by God therefore I don't need to seek approval, acceptance, and love from others, but because of God's love, approval, acceptance I am free to love others freely. I walk away from this conference refreshed, relaxed and renewed that I don't need "to do" anything.  Yet because of the good news of grace, I want to preach/teach grace to others and love others. Elyse Fitzpatrick talked about Satan's lies.  I need to remember what God's Word says about me not the lies of flesh, world or Satan.  Here is a quote from her message: "When Satan accuses you, look up! We conquer...

Unstoppable: Tracing God's flawless work through flawed people Acts is the story of God choosing the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. These are not the happiest verses in the Bible.  To understand, we need to go back to Chapter 4:32-37. This seems harsh and forgiving. The cold heartedness of this story reveals danger of self-salvation. Ananias & Sapphira are you and me. This was deeper than financial greed.  We inside the church are masters of disguise.   Fruit of justification of works is hiding who we are from ourselves & others. After we become Christians, we tend to leave the gospel behind. We understand Christ's work is relevant in our past & future, but it's our work relevant in the present. The root cause of our exhaustion is not something outside of us, but something instead inside of us. It is amazing to me that Christians celebrate when brothers or sisters in Christ experience failure. We all have secrets. Lying is part of our self-salv...

We have determined who we are through God's Word. When you get this, you are free. (Steve Brown) All have fallen short of the glory of God, but that hasn't stopped us from comparing distances. (David Zahl) Grace always shows up as a surprise. (John Zahl)

"Relax, It is Really Finished"--Steve Brown Now what? It is rare that people believe what they say believe. Galatians 3:23-4:7 We have determined who we are through God's Word. When you get this, you are free. Jesus loves you and everything is settled. It is Finished so go out and irritate someone.  It is Finished so go out and hug someone. It is Finished so go out and have a party.

Commercial for FitBit-It is a lifestyle device not just fitness device Quantify all of our daily life Data is used for self-justification What does it look like to keep score?  Chart ourselves or others We love quantification because we love control. If I know where I am headed, I have the power to control it. If I score high enough, I will be alright. The Law (10 Commandments, Sermon on Mount) keeps score  The law (world) keeps score, as well as the voice inside We always lose when we keep score. All have fallen short of the glory of God, but that hasn't stopped us from comparing distances. Scorekeeping hits home in our marriage, parenting, friendships, work. The moment a good work becomes public it loses its goodness. This is why Christ told us to keep it quiet. We are addicted to scorekeeping and Christians deal with this just as much as anyone else. Moralism has crept into our food choices. Do we only rest to work better? What about scorekeeping with ...

Here are my favorite quotes from speakers from Day 2 of Liberate 2015: God's Will is not lost. Question is not what but where & how. (J.D. Greear) When Satan accuses you, look up! We conquer him by the blood of Lamb & word of testimony (not ours, but His) (Elyse Fitzpatrick) The entire life, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming again of Christ is relevant to grace. (Justin Holcomb) If the Lord picked you to do something, there is no pressure because He will speak through you. (Eric Metaxas) Rest in God's commitment to bring to completion what He began. (Scotty Smith) Every morning wake up & believe God is pleased with you because of what Jesus has done. (Ray Cortese) Your assurance of salvation never comes from looking in, but instead from looking up and out. (Tullian Tchividjian)

The flesh is bitterly resistant to "it is finished." We are not waring against flesh & blood. We are waring against the flesh, the world and Satan. Love not law begets love. There is a crucial distinction between law & gospel. Passive Righteousness vs. Active Righteousness We live on two planes: before God & before others Passive Righteousness-settled by Jesus Active Righteousness-serving our neighbor I had a low view of the law & thought, "do your best & God will do the rest" would satisfy requirements of law. When we think our good works are for God instead of our neighbor, God's love is dependent on us instead of finished work of Jesus.  We live as if our sanctification precedes our justification. Good works are not a transaction for God. They are for others. One of the Devil's greatest lies is God gets tired of our repeated asking for forgiveness. After justification, good works are not thrown out, but instead ...

Philippians 3:4-9 It's a terrible thing to be powerless. This realization led me to a crisis. What changed me? There is a righteousness that comes from God. God produces the righteousness, not me.  Few Christians get the gospel. And when we don't, we hurt others. We give a sense of salvation by faith alone. We think we have merit. We are self-righteous. Grace is unmerited favor.  Churches also think they have merit. How do you do right things? And then repent of them. There is only one thing you need to get Jesus and it is need. Most Christians don't believe the imputation of righteousness to us. We know He is sin bearer. But we don't believe He is righteousness producer Tetelestai-It is Finished North American Christianity-Jesus paid my debt. Now get to work. Jesus says, "your debt is paid & all I have belongs to you." Every morning wake up & believe God is pleased with you because of what Jesus has done. I go to bed fille...

4 Affirmations of how to be free as God intends from 1 John 3: 1. Know the Love of Father 2. Rest in God's commitment to bring to completion what He began Anchor love in what God thinks about us not what we think about God 3. Hope & Surrender to the process of gospel transformation An anchor can weigh you down or secure you.  Hope Definition-Remember God's future in our present Language of maturity, purity, sanctification--Hebrew word focuses on "being set apart"  God loves you as He loves Jesus & we can't change it! Move from being condemned by your sin to be convicted of it. Gospel repentance is quicker. Repentance is collapsing on Christ. Obedience is often driven by pride, fear or guilt. Gospel obedience is driven by faith & love.  Grace frees us to be more generous, loving, etc. Jesus is making all things new, not me. 4. Love broken & messy people

Don't accept a counterfeit of "dead religion." Earn your way to God, Be a good person It's not about intellectual assent to things. Theoretically, we get grace, but it doesn't mean we are living it. If the Lord picked you to do something, there is no pressure because He will speak through you. Being a Christian is not about either offending or not offending people. Which is it?--Are you being offensive or is truth being offensive?  Was flesh offensive or was it the Holy Spirit? You have to decide. William Wilberforce-In England, the church was not being the church. You cannot cause yourself to be born or born again. We are all created in image of God & I must live this out.  Whatever you espouse, is there a cost to you?  Is it costly? Dead religion comes in a lot of forms. He didn't say,"who am I to judge?"He went to war against slavery. When he understood he was a sinner,he then stood against things When you appreciate what God h...

What victims need is not self-help or advice. They need the gospel! Abuse-sexual and domestic-what they need is hope and healing through the gospel. The entire life, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming again of Christ is relevant to grace. The deepest message of Christ in Scripture is grace for sinners & sufferers. Victims of abuse don't need: platitudes (time heals all wounds) Shallow theology (God will use it for good) Suspicious questions (how much did you have drink?) The effects of abuse: Denial or minimizing (How is this my fault? karma) Need is ascension-Jesus is our mediator, advocate, interceding Distorted Self-Image Worthless, Dirty, Unwanted You are called what Jesus is! Need is Life of Christ-He fulfilled law, obeyed perfectly Shame The Bible talks about shame as outcast, nakedness Jesus treated as outcast so we don't have to be. We are adopted! Need is Incarnation-He came to take on human experience fully. Guilt Instead of God u...

Where do we get our identity from? Birth certificate, resume, & tombstone "No guilt in life, no fear in death" from In Christ Alone-When you think about your identity, think about these words. Many people will say to me, "I know God loves me, but I don't think He likes me." The Law is not meant to terrify the believer! It makes us grateful for Christ keeping the Law in our place. Speaking about keeping the law--God doesn't grade on a curve. And if He does, Christ ruins it. Hebrews 2:10-3:1 When you think about your identity, consider Jesus! Jesus is the point. Jesus' Father is our Father. We have been adopted.  Jesus is not ashamed to call us brother or sister.   Jesus is not ashamed to call us His own. Our resume will never be enough.  Jesus is not ashamed. If we struggle with guilt/shame, we are not believing them Jesus wants us to know that He is proud of us. Your relationship with Christ is not based on what you do. He call...

John 16:7 Most neglected teaching in the gospel movement is the Holy Spirit. Many Christians often fall in two extremes related to the Holy Spirit--A focus on the experience or a neglect of the Holy Spirit. The fact that we are not more excited about the Holy Spirit inside us shows our misunderstanding of God's Word. Jesus beside is good, but within us is better. Victorious Christianity is Christ in you. (John 15:5) I understood that the Holy Spirit was a Person.  The Holy Spirit is a better teacher than even Jesus was.  Effective Ministry is Christ Through You. (Acts 1:1) Jesus can do more in a few minutes than we can do in a lifetime. Acts 8-Jesus can do more through us in a moment than we can do in a lifetime of mission trips. God does more through lay people than clergy. Luke 7-Greatest preacher according to Jesus was John the Baptist. The least in the kingdom has more potential has John. Example of Quarterback. The poin...

Here are my favorite quotes from the speakers at Liberate 2015 from Thursday: When you see sin for what it is, you cannot hold onto the thought that the law is all you need. It doesn't work. (Paul Tripp) "Christ is all" is what parents need to hear. You can trust him with your success and failure.  It's more than just what you do.  We don't live under covenant of works but under covenant of grace. (Jessica Thompson) A sermon should meet at intersection of real questions and real pain & person of Jesus Christ. (Jono Linebaugh) Create a worship culture that makes it more likely the gospel moves from head to heart to hands. (Scotty Smith) It took me a long time to realize this and a war to live this: unless your ministry is firmly rooted in finished work of Christ, it will be uprooted by some form of ministry dysfunction. (Paul Tripp) I need someone constantly reminding me that "it is finished." It's not about how well we do. (Shari Thomas) If it is...

Whenever you minimize what sin does, you immediately devalue grace. Sin reduces every human being to a fool. Titus 3:3-8 When you see sin for what it is, you cannot hold onto the thought that the law is all you need. It doesn't work. If all I needed was to be told what to do, then Jesus would not have needed to come. The foolishness of self-centeredness We were created by God to live upward & outward lives. Sin puts us in the center of our little world. 2 Corinthians 5 You can't regulate a person, shame or guilt a person out of self-centeredness. Self-centeredness is all over the Bible. All of us have it in us. The foolishness of self-deception If we don't recognize our need of a Savior, we deceive ourselves.  No one deceives you more than you do. Self-deception is your particular chosen system of saving yourself. You are very influential in your own life because no one talks to you more than yourself. The foolishness of self-sufficiency 2 Lies--Aut...

Two main types of teaching for kids: Be the most amazing you you've ever been and ever hope to be. (mention of God is optional) Be the best Christian. That's the only way God will love you. (only way God will love you) "Christ is all" is what parents need to hear. You can trust him with your success and failure.  It's more than just what you do.  We don't live under covenant of works but under covenant of grace. Isaiah 61:1-3 & Matthew 19:13--Kid's & Family Ministry Manifesto Bring them to Christ. What would freedom look like for families? Freedom to admit sin without fear of judgment Freedom to admit doubt without fear of shame Freedom from trying to measure up to the perfect family Freedom to enjoy each other Freedom from trying to be the hero (parents & children) Freedom for children Freedom to be a child Freedom to hear that their teachers struggle with sin Freedom from having to earn love and acceptance Freedo...

How do we preach the same sermon every week? What do we say? Love (Greatest Commandments) Where does it come from? Not from telling people to do it It comes from faith Romans 10:17-Word creates faith which is active in love. Minister's One Job-Preach the Word From where & to where do you preach the Word? What the heart desires determines what we do. Minister the Word to the heart. How? You can't. The Spirit is the only one who can. The first question is not about speaking, but hearing.  We need words from the heart to the heart. You do your reading and studying of Scripture in conversation with real life. A sermon shout meet at intersection of real questions and real pain & person of Jesus Christ. Two Kinds of Truth Preach the Law (diagnose sinners) Doing the work of diagnosis. How? Describe life as it really is. Tell honest stories & illustrations Preach the Gospel (deliver sinners) Speaking the promise of God in Jesus' ...

None of us are called to be the 4th member of the Trinity. How does the Bible describe a liberated church? 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 5 Affirmations: Savor God's outrageous love for us. Take care of your heart. How? A whole gospel for whole of you. Learn to care of yourself spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, relationally Prayer Jack Miller said, "you can't have too much gospel or prayer going on in Christ Community Church" The culture of church was prayer before, during, and after service. Make the health of your leadership culture as high a priority as you can Does our budget reflect that we love our leaders? How are we helping them grow in grace & gospel? Staff for gospel renewal. Vet with the gospel in mind. Pay special attention to relational dynamics among leaders. Watch out for triangulation. David Arms Painting-Whole Story of God First Panel-Genesis 1-2 (Birds-chickadees) Last Panel-Revelation (Birds of gathering of ...

I was totally unprepared and unaware of the dangers of daily gospel ministry. My greatest fear was and is saying "I'm in ministry, but I am bit of a mess. It took me a long time to realize this and a war to live this: unless your ministry is firmly rooted in finished work of Christ, it will be uprooted by some form of ministry dysfunction. 1 Timothy 1:12-15 We can be comfortable with, "I once was but now I __________" Jesus came to save people like me! This is not just a confession of past iniquity.  It (Jesus came to save sinners) is a message that I desperately need right now. I have not arrived. Your weakness is not in the way of vibrant gospel ministry. Your delusion of strengths are. 1 Timothy 1:16-Grace never runs out, never gives up, never turns it back & walks away. It's grace upon grace upon grace. I can still shop horizontally for what I already have vertically. How much of your ministry is driven by fear not faith? If your ministry isn't rooted...

3 P's about our relationships: Perspective, Past, Purpose Perspective-how you read the Bible matters.  Picture-Life, Loss, Love, Life (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration) I had put all my trust in my righteousness. How do you repent of being good? Is this a problem for me to solve?  I need someone constantly reminding me that "it is finished." It's not about how well we do. We need a gospel lens. How do we view our past? Where does evil want to trip you up? Betrayal, powerlessness, abandonment We want to be affirmed and validated.  All of us will seek approval from someone. Who will it be? Redemption keeps affecting us. Satan meant it for evil; God will redeem it for good. If you don't know what this means for your life, stop what you are doing. We need to allow time and space for the Holy Spirit to move in our relationships rather than trying to "fix" things.

Steve Brown began the pastor's pre-conference at Liberate. Here are some thoughts from him: Galatians 5:1-9-These should be applied to the church more than just to an individual. The church is not "your" church.   If it is not finished for you, it won't be finished for your church. If you get that "you are finished", you become dangerous. When you know "it is finished", you don't have to prove anything, you don't have to win an argument. Galatians 5:6-what counts is "faith working through love." When it is finished, we can laugh.

As you read this, I am in flight to Ft. Lauderdale, FL for the Liberate conference.  Last year, I went alone and this year I am bringing 6 people with me.  I will be sharing notes from the speakers on this site throughout the week.  Return Thursday-Sunday for new posts.  We are also including a little rest and relaxation today and then on Monday.

I am continuing to read Jesus Continued by J.D. Greear.  He will be one of the speakers at Liberate 2015.  I thoroughly enjoyed his message last year and look forward to what Holy Spirit puts on his heart this year.  Here are some quotes on the topic of "greater" from Jesus Continued : In other words, it's not that Jesus worked while he was here and now the church works in his absence. Jesus worked then through his incarnation, and he works now through his church. But Luke writes it (Luke 5:17) in this way to show us that even Jesus' power to heal came from the Holy Spirit. Why make that distinction? If Jesus had healed exclusively out of his own power, then he'd have a significant advantage over his disciples. But if the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus, then the disciples could do what he did, continuing the ministry he started. Believers, who now possess that same Holy Spirit, have access to that same power. Nothing in Acts nor in the rest of the New Testam...

Here is a great quote and reminder for all of us from J.D. Greear in Jesus Continued : Constant feelings of guilt, paralysis, and restlessness are dead give-aways of the co-Messiah complex...Until you get off the saving throne and back into the position of creaturely servitude, you'll always be out of balance--because in your zeal to be a help to God you make the mistake of trying to be God. You'll never have the slightest idea how to balance rest and labor, enjoyment and sacrifice--in fact, the very ideas of balance and rest will seem ludicrous to you. And of course, you can't sleep, because gods can't nap. They have a universe to run. But thank God, we serve a God who doesn't lack for resources. Because he never slumbers or sleeps, I can. These are powerful words for all of us who need rest.  Get your eyes focused on Jesus not your busyness for Jesus.  He can do more through the Holy Spirit working in us in a second than we can do in a lifetime "worki...

“The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful.   Who can endure it?   ‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’   Rend your heart and not your garments.   Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (2:11-13). “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.   You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.   Then you will know that I am in Israel , that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed” (2:25-27). “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.   Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.   Even on my servants, both men and women, I will...

Happy Valentine's Day to my beautiful, smart, caring, loving, kind wife.  It sounds like a cliché, but I really do love her more today than we got married.  The love grows and grows and I am blessed to get to spend my days with her.  Since we will gone for a week, we plan to celebrate with the kids today, but I am looking forward to a date night while we are in Ft. Lauderdale.  Any good restaurant suggestions? I love the picture below and her amazing bouquet of roses paled in comparison to her beauty that day. If all of this mushy Valentine's Day makes you gag, check out a  post I wrote about another amazing love available to us.

The following Scripture does not talk about water, oceans, or the deep.  However, the image that comes to mind for me is that of an ocean.  Just when we think we have reached the bottom, there is more grace.  Be reminded of the abundance of grace available to us. For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16)

Here are pictures from fuzion service project tonight at the Villa:

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”               (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Below is a quote by Charles Spurgeon that was in Jesus Continued by J.D. Greear: We do our Lord an injustice when we suppose that he wrought all his mighty acts, and showed himself strong for those in the early time, but doth not perform wonders or lay bare his arm for the saints who are now upon the earth. Do you believe God still does might acts today?  Why or why not?

Here is another great song that I learned at Liberate last year.  Lyrics are below. Be reminded of what Jesus has done for you.  The bridge includes only three words: it is finished. Listen here 1. Free from the law, O happy condition, Jesus has bled and there is remission, Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall, Grace has redeemed us once for all. Chorus: Once for all, O sinner, receive it, Once for all, O doubter, believe it; Cling to the cross, the burden will fall, Christ has redeemed us once for all. 2. Now we are free, there’s no condemnation, Jesus provides a perfect salvation. “Come unto Me,” O hear His sweet call, Come, and He saves us once for all. 3. Children of God, O glorious calling, Surely His grace will keep us from falling; Passing from death to life at His call; Blessed salvation once for all. Bridge: It is finished credits from His Be the Victor's Name , ...

We have an underdeveloped theology of the Holy Spirit in the Evangelical Church.  I agree with J.D. Greear on this topic.  Below are some quotes from his newest book, Jesus Continued , which focuses on the Holy Spirit. There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was leading, but we cannot reduce how he led to a formula in which we simply plug in variables and pull out the answer. When it comes to the voice of God, the Scriptures are in a class all by themselves. God is always speaking clearly and reliably there. Want to hear the Spirit? Open your Bible. In every age, the church faces the danger of degrading itself from a movement to a place, from a conduit of God's mighty, rushing wind to a sacred place where we seek serene, spiritual moments; from a rescue station to a spiritual country club. Jesus already had died for our breaking of the law. He absorbed the fire of God's wrath so that we could receive the fire of his life and power. Every spiritual gift serves...

Today, I am the guest blogger at Two Roses.  It is a devotion on Psalm 3.  Go over here to check it out. 

Tonight is the final Family Night at Hesston MB.  Check back later tonight to see pictures from the evening.  Join us at Hesston MB (610 W. Randall) from 6:30-8:00 p.m. for a free meal, fun, learning, and more as a family.  Parents, grandparents, and siblings are invited to join children who normally attend Hide N Seek (4 years old through 4th grade). I hope to see you there! There is a chance to win free t-shirts too!

I am continuing posts of pictures from Ft. Lauderdale, FL as Liberate 2015 is coming up soon.  I have included verses that connect with the image. He will again have compassion on us;      he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins      into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19)