daddy4ms

I am still reading Show Them Jesus by Jack Klumpenhower. The second section of the book talks about how to teach the good news.  Here are some quotes: Don't: Look for a moral lesson about a human character. Instead: Look for the worth and work of the main character, God. The only way to avoid either the softie God or the monster God is with the God of the cross. The full good news regarding any of God's rules is that believers are (1) eternally forgiven for breaking that command and counted righteous in Jesus, no matter how badly they mess up; (2) made eager to follow that command in gratitude and hope as children of the Father; and (3) made able to follow it by relying on the Holy Spirit's transforming power. The difference between the Old and New Testaments isn't the attributes of God they reveal, but the point we're at in the great story. 7 Methods for getting to Jesus from an Old Testament passage: (1) what God does; (2) who God is; (3) Jesus solves t...

I am currently reading Jesus > Religion by Jefferson Bethke.  I am holding off on the recommendation because I am only a few chapters in.  But here are a few quotes: It isn't just good advice (religion); it's good news (Jesus). Jesus became the face of the Law rather than the concrete tablets Moses is always holding in those ancient depictions. Love is the new law. That is the essence of fundamentalism--living by the rules to stay out of trouble rather than seeing the rules as tools to bring us into intimacy and joy. We exchange relationship with God for a bunch of church games. There is no glory brought to God's name when people are doing something because it's an obligation, with no real enjoyment of their Creator. In speaking of the parable of the prodigal son, Bethke writes, "God gives grace to the younger and the older. No one is past redemption. No one is past grace. All God wants is for both the religious and the rebellious to come into the part...

This is the chapter title for Chapter 5 of Judah Smith's book Jesus Is _________. I almost wore out a highlighter as I read this chapter. I encourage you to pick up the book. Here are some quotes: "People don't need grace to sin. They need grace to deal with the sin they already have." "That means that grace and truth aren't enemies. They are on the same side. We don't need to balance grace with truth or truth with grace, because they are both personified in Jesus." "If you want to know what God thinks of you, or what God would say about your sin, or how God would respond if he were face-to-face with you, just look at Jesus, and you'll know." "it (grace) will not motivate you to sin. It will motivate you to righteousness." "Allegiance to a doctrine can only last so long, but relationship trumps everything. We'll do anything for someone we love." "The point is this: some of us put too much tru...

I am continuing to read Judah Smith's new book, Jesus Is          .  Here are a few quotes to ponder: "We need to abandon our scale and adopt God's because our misguided labels keep us from the right kind of interaction with people." "The good news is that Jesus came to reveal a God who defines us not by our actions but by his love." "We just have to remember that rules are not proof of our spirituality.  If anything, they are proof of our sinfulness, a reminder that we have a tendency toward wrongdoing and that we need help." "Whether I am better than you or worse than you really doesn't matter. What matters is that I recognize my need for Jesus."