Is God's Grace Enough? (I keep asking)

2 Corinthians 12:9, "Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." [NLT]

Grace is the operating power of God. It is through the grace of God that we discover the ability to do everything He commands. In fact, there is nothing that God will ask of us that He does not supply the grace to accomplish.

God's grace is sufficient for...
My Life
My Marriage
My Vocation
My Weaknesses
My Strengths
My ______________ (insert whatever you like)

Do you believe that?

I hear a lot of people who believe it in theory but struggle in the practice. When we live like that, we actually frustrate the grace of God in our lives. I say frustrate because it causes us to put a lot more emphasis on what we do rather than trusting in His all sufficient grace. This mentality shows up when we are dealing with sin (in our lives or others). Allowing the grace of God to have its perfect work in our lives is the solution.

This warped mentality about the grace of God also shows up in relationships. The couple that doesn't want to reconcile. The parent that feels the need to control their child. The child that refuses to live under authority. God's grace is sufficient for these things as well. God's grace gives us the power to be our best in every situation. As I shared with you yesterday, there is nothing that comes into our lives that love cannot overcome. Grace gives us the ability to walk in and demonstrate that love through our lives. We can reconcile, we can forgive, we can strengthen relationships rather than weaken. His grace is sufficient.

I keep asking the question (even though I know the answer): Is God's Grace Enough?
Is His grace enough for salvation?
Is His grace enough to keep me?
Is His grace enough to carry me through this tough time in my life?
Is His grace enough for healing?
Is His grace enough....
The answer is a loud and booming...YES!!!

It's time to expand your thinking about God. His love is unconditional and His grace is sufficient. God has allowed us to enter into a relationship with Him where the possibilities are endless. Are you ready to enter into abundant life? God's grace says you can.

Love is... [Recap]

Over the last few weeks I have been sharing a series of messages entitled "Love Is..." The whole point of the series was to help the PBC Family not only encounter the love of God but to teach us how to represent the love of God to one another.

The scriptural foundation for the series comes from the popular 1 Corinthians 13 description of The Nature, The Practice, & The Culmination of Love. What you discover in this section of the Bible is that...
Love is a powerful force
Love looks like something
Love never changes
Of all the virtues that the Bible describes for us, Love is the one that will stick around for all eternity. Why? Because God is love. Love isn't just something that God does. Love is who God is. What God does flows from who He is. In the same way, you and I must learn how to draw from the nature of God in all of our relationships.

For far too long people have looked upon this idea of love in such a way that it is seen as weak. Or they think that if all we do is love then we will never confront any situation or person. But that isn't love. Jesus embodied for us what perfect love looked like. He didn't have a problem confronting issues in His disciples, in the religious institution of the day, or the people that He encountered. Just because we walk in love doesn't mean that we are going to "lay down" for everything or that we will be a doormat. Walking in love is difficult because it forces us to operate in such a way that relationships matter.

In fact, I believe there is a valid reason why this description of love shows up in church history. The church at Corinth is in a mess. The mess wasn't due to a lack of gifts, lack of resources, or a lack of people. The mess was created from the wrong mindset. You often see this in powerful people. It's real easy to operate in our gifts or from our position without recognizing the spirit that we are functioning from. Where the Spirit of God is present then we will operate in love. I truly believe that the more gifts that are manifested in the church, the more God's love should be experienced. However, church history has shown us that we have not learned the lesson of the Corinthian church.

It doesn't matter how gifted we are in the Spirit if we are not operating in the love of God. It never is a question about gifts. It's never a question about the right programs, the right music, or the right people. The question will always be: Is love present?

I encourage you to experience the love that...
bears all things
believes all things
hopes all things
endures all things
and never fails!
This is the love of God. And this is what we should be operating from as a community of believers.

Dwelling in Hope

Proverbs 13:12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life." You ever have a week where you had to live from the proverbs and psalms? You know...looking for wisdom and trying to sing His praises? It's from that mindset that I share with you today.

It's in moments like this that I must dwell in the place of HOPE. Our faith is supposed to be made up of the substance of things hoped for. In other words, hope is a building block for faith. But what happens when what we hope for doesn't happen? How do we handle those moments when we have prayed for something and don't receive it?

Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Have you ever considered that living in disappointment can hurt you? You probably already know this, but entertain me for a moment. If we never learn how to handle the times that we have been disappointed, I believe that we can invite depression, anxiety, fear, and even sickness into our lives. How many people do you know that trusted the Lord for something, it didn't happen, and they never recovered? Not only did they not recover, but they created a theology that God doesn't do this/that, or that God doesn't answer certain prayers, or that God...well, you get the point. It's in the place of disappointment that we actually define God not based upon His Word, but upon our experiences in life.

In the same sense, when a longing is fulfilled it becomes a tree of life. The answer, the fulfillment, and the arrival of what we had hoped for becomes a place of provision and shelter for our faith. It doesn't matter what comes against our lives because we have a hope that is settled in what God has done. It's in the place of fulfillment that we are able to see God through the lens of His Word, find Him trustworthy, and experience His goodness.

This statement covers two ends of the spectrum. The first part deals with disappointment while the second part deals with success. Hope deferred is a place of sadness while hope received is a place of comfort. It's actually in both of these instances that we must learn a very important truth: we never base our lives or our faith on the successes and failures. We must always trust in His love.

That is why I love Psalm 13:5, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation." In spite of what I am experiencing in life, I will continue to trust in God's unfailing love and rejoice in His salvation! This may sound like a simple concept but the results in your life will be astounding. I cannot allow my disappointments to shape my view of God. I cannot allow them to drive me to a place of despondency. I must always focus on the one clear thing that I know to be true: His love for me!

Too often, people wait until they are in the midst of disappointment before they try to secure themselves in the love of God. But it doesn't work. I have to make up my mind, based on the cross, that God has already demonstrated His love for me. I must trust in that unfailing love regardless of the circumstances in life. I must hold to the salvation that He has given to me and allow it to become an anchor for my soul. Maybe I haven't received everything that I trusted God for, but it will not shape my theology or concept of God.

He is the Lover of my soul!
He is my Redeemer!
He is my Counselor and Friend!
He is my Abba, Father!
He is my Hope!

This is what it means to dwell in the place of hope. I CANNOT allow disappointment to rule my mind or my emotions, and my lack cannot fuel my faith. It is actually in the unfailing love of God that I find confidence, I find security, and I discover strength. Just knowing and experiencing His love for me is enough to push me past the disappointment that I may be experiencing.

Here's what you and I must learn to do. Take our disappointments to the Lord. We acknowledge them before Him, affirm our trust in His unfailing love, and then continue to step out in faith. The process may take some time. So...you better learn how to remain in that place until your heart is moved. Then get up from that place and continue to move forward in your faith. And always remember that His love for you can overcome any disappointment. Take the wisdom we have discovered in the Proverbs and join it together with a song from the Psalms. You will recapture your hope and learn to trust in the God of your salvation.

May your weekend be blessed and all your hopes be fulfilled. May you rest in His unfailing love and rejoice over His salvation.

Healthy Confrontation

Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." I would love to tell you that a "proverb" always works. However, if they ALWAYS worked then we would call them promises. One thing is for certain, someone has to have the level head.

Over the last several weeks I have been listening to a teaching on honor. One of these teachings discussed how to handle confrontation when you are living with powerful people. The fact of the matter is that we are all powerful. It's how we use our power that determines whether or not we are going to honor someone in a given situation.

Healthy confrontation (which is done in love) can actually strengthen relationships rather than weaken them. You can build someone up rather than tear them down. When love becomes the foundation of our relationships then each of us can remain strong, powerful, and honoring regardless of the circumstances.

Unfortunately, many of us have had to deal with confrontation that wasn't healthy or honoring. This type of confrontation typically comes when we have grown tired of dealing with a certain issue, or someone has gotten tired of putting up with ours. Due to the fact that this has gone on for several days/weeks/months, there is a lot of emotion that has been suppressed. In this type of confrontation, anger is usually expressed, love is withdrawn, and the relationship is wounded or severed. What is normally lost in this type of confrontation is the understanding that the person you are dealing with is powerful, awesome, and loved by God.

Galatians 6:1 gives us insight on what confrontation should look like among believers: "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." What you and I must glean from this verse is that when dealing with sin, wrongs, and problems; we must approach a person in a spirit of gentleness. We should also recognize that we could fall into the same trap. Therefore, we cannot be arrogant, rude, or dishonoring in the process. We must find a way, even in the midst of an ugly problem, to bring restoration.

I wish I could tell you that I have mastered the art of confrontation. But the truth is that I'm still working on it. But I would like to share some tips on how to keep a conflict from erupting into a full out assault on another person. Keep in mind that these tips will also help you when being confronted. Remember the soft answer thing? It will work for you. You just have to keep practicing.

Watch Your Tone
This is one of the most difficult aspects of confrontation. It's especially difficult for me because I come from a family that has tone issues. I must always be aware of "how" I am addressing something. We can say the right words but the wrong tone will kill any type of conversation.

Own Your Stuff While Allowing The Other Person To Own Theirs
The only person we can control in any situation is ourselves. So when I am confronting someone, I don't want to project anything. I simply want to point out what I consider to be the problem.
Example:
"Are you aware that you made me feel...?"
"Did you mean to come across this way?"
"Do you realize that...?"
In each of these examples, the questions you ask help the other person own their problem. I'm not blaming. I'm not harassing. And I'm definitely not lecturing. I'm simply asking questions to help bring things to the surface. This style of confrontation creates inner pressure rather than outward.

Remember That You Are Dealing With A Powerful Person
This is true whether you are confronting your kids, spouse, employees, or friends. Regardless of the person (their age, gender, or position), you have to see them powerful. You also need to help empower them through the process. In an unhealthy confrontation, we tend to beat down people. We want them to feel shame or shrink away. This is typically done through intimidation. In a healthy confrontation we want them to remain powerful. We need them to be the best they can be in this situation. We help point them to a problem and give them the opportunity to clean up the mess.
Example:
"Did you mean to be sarcastic just a few moments ago?"
"I sense that there is some major tension between us and was wondering if you noticed it as well."
"So...what's the problem?"
"What are you/we going to do about it?"
*In this step, we are trying to help them find the solution. We only offer advice if they can't seem to find one. "Do you want to handle this on your own or do you want some help?"

Be Quick To Forgive
This can be one of the hardest parts of confrontation. Especially if we are waiting until we have the confrontation to do it. I have found that it's much easier to forgive someone if I can do it before I have to confront them. Which means I must be willing to die to myself. Sure...my feeling have been hurt or I was angry. But forgiveness needs to come easy for us. Imagine the impact of saying, "I forgave you two weeks ago" or "I forgave you right after it happened."

If you are looking for some great ideas on how to develop a culture of honor in your home or church, look for Danny Silk's book "Culture of Honor" and the teaching series "Honor Among Us." Danny also has a teaching called "Keys to Confrontation" that I'm personally going to check into. I point you to these resources because Honor is at the center and Love is the foundation. These resources can be found at store.ibethel.org

Notice the them in what I have been sharing over the past few weeks.
Love
Honor
Humility
All of these things can carry you a long way in your relationships. Be blessed!

Having the Right Attitude

I have embraced the fact that the way I view the church is different than many of my contemporaries in ministry. The reason why we gather, what unifies us as a body of believers, and how we express the love of Christ are just a few of the differences. It's this context of ministry forces me to stretch against the walls of orthodoxy. I just don't want to be negative or critical.

After watching a documentary on church life and hearing some of the responses, I realize that there is a lot of negative light shining upon the church as a whole. Too often, in our attempt to bring about change, we are simply raging against the machine. I hear a lot of bitterness and hope to never be in that place.
Do I want to see change? ABSOLUTELY!
Do I believe we need to look inside the walls of the church for solutions? YES!
But I don't want to be seen as a Crusader. I'm not willing to go to war because I view the functions, ministry, or even some of the dogma of doctrine differently. I truly believe there is a better way.

The other day, I was talking with a husband who was experiencing some difficulty in marriage. I stressed with him the need to communicate effectively with his wife. I said, "I find it interesting that we can take classes on how to debate effectively but there isn't much out there on how to have a conversation." How do we approach our differences in the church? How can we hold true to what we believe while accepting those who view things differently? Like many of the things that we face in life, the answer is found in Christ. What did His life look like? How did He face criticism and division? How do we respond even when we know we are right?

Philippians 2:5-11 gives us great insight into the attitude that Jesus displayed while on the earth.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Christ's willingness to serve, rather than be served, is a great example to us. Much of His ministry was spent teaching a group of disciples how to walk with God. Before His death on the cross, He put a towel around His waist and was willing to wash the feet of His disciples. He was careful to honor and respect those who opposed Him, even though He didn't mind dealing with them. In love, He confronted them. On purpose, He gave His life as a ransom for the world. Yes...instead of clinging to all of His rights, He humbled Himself to death.

Humility has been lost in our efforts to be right. Humility is typically not one of the attributes that is pointed out by the world when they discuss the church. Humility is rarely practiced when we view opposing sides of a particular debate. Instead we march on like valiant warriors slaying anyone that would stand in our way. We say it's for the "Truth" - this is the reason we fight. And in the midst of the struggle, we lose credibility with an already confused world. We lose the affection of our brothers in Christ. And we lose respect among those who are different.

I'm not saying that we should never stand for what we believe in. I'm not saying that we should be weak. But when did meekness (strength under control) become a bad word? I truly believe that if we could learn to walk in humility that we would see less "lines in the sand." Humility dissolves division, helps to eliminate conflict, and fosters reconciliation.

While I type these words, I realize that this is an area that I continually have to grow. Thank God that there is grace for it. But what I have seen in my life over these last few years is a willingness to sit down at the table with people that I would typically not even have a conversation with. I have been willing to listen to opposing views, lose some of my own dogma, and try to find common ground with those who are different. It's not easy but the example of Christ compels me to take on the form of a servant. His Spirit within me is a driving force that says being right is not always the best thing.

Think about what humility could do in our marriages. Imagine what takes place when our problems are confronted with "I'm sorry", "What can I change to make this happen?", or "I'm willing to talk about this." Is there anything that we cannot work through when humility is present in our relationships?

How about the kids. Do you realize how little our kids witness humility from the ones who are in charge? I don't know if there is anything more humbling than having to apologize to your child. But it's a place we need to be willing to visit. "If we can't teach them through our successes, then learn to teach them through your failures." ~ Bill Johnson

And of course, the church. Paul said, "Let this mind be in you..." Our attitude should reflect the very nature of Christ. It is through humility that we deal with confrontation. It is with humility that we walk in love for one another. It is humility that allow us to honor each other, bear one another's burdens, and seek to bring reconciliation to the world.

I don't expect one blog to change the world. However, I do hope that it will cause each of us to think about areas we have been unwilling to yield to those around us. Someone once said that we have to choose the mountains that we are willing to die on. My first question is, Do we even know why we are fighting?