tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post4853798564751265232..comments2023-10-03T06:25:41.357-05:00Comments on Grace Roots Blog: Quit Jammin' Me!Joel Bruesekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-50984387233043039042017-10-05T09:47:22.383-05:002017-10-05T09:47:22.383-05:00I'm glad you found this post, Patti, and I'...I'm glad you found this post, Patti, and I'm glad you relate to what I'm saying here. It's true what you say... grace changes everything!Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-77867957918687978602017-10-05T00:55:26.017-05:002017-10-05T00:55:26.017-05:00I was looking for information about Tom Petty'...I was looking for information about Tom Petty's song and came across this post. Wow! What a great job you did connecting Christianity's most egregious error to this song! I've had a similar experience and can relate well to yours. Grace changes everything. Thank you for this! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02699630435526223387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-54016484915341516882016-11-10T11:45:41.505-06:002016-11-10T11:45:41.505-06:00I love it, and I love that song. Great read! God b...I love it, and I love that song. Great read! God bless!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01430674522001860423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-6911154640662530622016-02-27T19:07:15.337-06:002016-02-27T19:07:15.337-06:00I can definitely relate :). For years I tried put...I can definitely relate :). For years I tried putting certain things in practice but now I'll just take Jesus please. Timeiz2schorthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08797479604298235992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-51670453577759201382014-02-23T06:52:05.570-06:002014-02-23T06:52:05.570-06:00:) Chris!:) Chris!Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-36929272219709349272014-02-23T01:30:54.669-06:002014-02-23T01:30:54.669-06:00Great post and comments!! Great post and comments!! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04090778055971569145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-73978475257095486252008-07-04T12:04:00.000-05:002008-07-04T12:04:00.000-05:00Free Spirit,I like how you put it... and I've neve...Free Spirit,<BR/><BR/>I like how you put it... and I've never thought of it this way: the "poverty" of Christian principles. We have such greater riches in our relationship with Jesus!Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-24092946012498817752008-07-03T21:56:00.000-05:002008-07-03T21:56:00.000-05:00I might add, that the whole "christian principles"...I might add, that the whole "christian principles" thing also keeps the focus almost entirely on us. Any time we do that, WE LOSE!!!Free Spirithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00942692680513002360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-2818700076035814932008-07-03T21:53:00.000-05:002008-07-03T21:53:00.000-05:00I personally think God gets a BIG kick out of all ...I personally think God gets a BIG kick out of all our "how to " principles. Like His kingdom can be reduced to such poverty! I believe we (the human race) are SO missin' it, any time we get into "principles for better living". It seems we always just use it as a very poor substitute for relationship.Free Spirithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00942692680513002360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-38112895069650144612008-07-02T10:45:00.000-05:002008-07-02T10:45:00.000-05:00Kathy,Like Matthew said, there's a lot of wisdom i...Kathy,<BR/><BR/>Like Matthew said, there's a lot of wisdom in what you said!<BR/><BR/>Somehow the church has turned the Bible, and the Christian life, into a matter of a bunch of rules and principles to live by, and the weekly meeting is the place to go hear about it.<BR/><BR/>Even in small group settings (which I've been a part of in various ways), which are generally more relational in nature, it's almost always come down to talking about "how to do" the Christian life. I was in a Vineyard church for over 7 years, where one of the mottos is "Doin' the Stuff." It's all about finding out what to DO.<BR/><BR/>I have no problem doing stuff. :) Well, ok, that all depends on many, many factors. But I mean, in my life in Christ, I surely don't want to just sit around and wait do die or for Jesus to come back. But somewhere along the line the church has made life in Christ all about doing, doing, doing, and I don't think most people even have a clue who they really are, never mind who God really is.<BR/><BR/>Again, "doing" is a natural fruit of who we are in Christ. But just as sin takes opportunity through the Law, and produces all manner of evil desire (Romans 7), I think that all of this constant teaching of principles really has the opposite effect of what is intended.<BR/><BR/>I'm going long here. I really should write another post. :)Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-36475590576173309572008-07-02T10:03:00.000-05:002008-07-02T10:03:00.000-05:00"But where did we get this idea that God only look..."But where did we get this idea that God only looks good in our successes? Why then does he call the weak and heavy burdened to Himself, or why does Paul proclaim that God's grace is made perfect in his weakness? Does He really need me to be His PR agent, or can I just be me, and let Him work in and through me, weaknesses and all?"<BR/><BR/>Whoa! You said a mouthful, Kathryn! Thats that simple wisdom of God that makes my brain hurt! lolMattityahuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05549061279827942555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-36379320343051923192008-07-02T09:43:00.000-05:002008-07-02T09:43:00.000-05:00Joel--I can relate to going from the 'performance ...Joel--<BR/><BR/>I can relate to going from the 'performance treadmill' to the 'principles trap'. It sounds so good, learning these tips to 'help us live the Christian life'. But it's still grace + works = worthy.<BR/><BR/>I think our problem lies in distorting what we're even here for. We know that we were created for God's glory, but that has somehow been defined as 'living to make God look good', which somehow works out practically to 'living to make ME look good'. So I need a bunch of priciples (rules) to help me keep my finances in order, have a perfect marriage, have perfect children, and have a valuable ministry in a local church, etc. Failure or weakness in any area means I look bad, which means God looks bad, which means I am not glorifying Him, which means I am not even fulfilling my purpose on earth. YIKES!! So I either better get these priciples down, or fake it as much as possible. The choice seems to be living in pride or shame. And if it's a whole church's job to make God look good by looking good as a chruch, there can't be room for weak, tired, failing people there. <BR/><BR/>The 'dream' of being a 'good Christian' dies hard. In my own life, it's meant losing some things I really wanted. In the past year, we've lost our church, our home, my opportunities to teach Bible study, which I loved, relationships with people we trusted, the notion that we could control our childrens' spiritual, emotional, or even physical well-being, and even a temporary loss of contact with the 'outside world' via internet (so glad that's back!!). None of those losses makes me look good at all. <BR/>But where did we get this idea that God only looks good in our successes? Why then does he call the weak and heavy burdened to Himself, or why does Paul proclaim that God's grace is made perfect in his weakness? Does He really need me to be His PR agent, or can I just be me, and let Him work in and through me, weaknesses and all?<BR/><BR/>As hard as it is to let go of the 'good Chrsitian dream', I am excited at the new dream he is giving me: the dream of seeing Him, knowing Him, experiencing Him in all His glorious grace and love, and living in a dependence on Him that alllows him to shine out of my life. That can only happen as I get to know a Person, not a principle. <BR/><BR/>Kathy JAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08355508804152610609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-81723926783039788822008-07-02T09:40:00.000-05:002008-07-02T09:40:00.000-05:00Matthew... what you've said reminds me that I had ...Matthew... what you've said reminds me that I had so much more in mind as I was thinking about writing this this but I left much of it out because I hadn't written it down!<BR/><BR/>The whole introspective thing and so much more. I've analyzed my grace life to death and it's only led to feelings of guilt and despair. Wondering why I wasn't seeing all the fruit, etc.<BR/><BR/>The guilt was only magnified through all the 'good' principles that I was constantly hearing taught, along with all the millions of points and sub-points in each sermon/radio program/teaching/etc. It really was jamming me and I just had to get out of that whole program in life!<BR/><BR/>It's kind of like we were talking about in the comments elsewhere lately. There's a reason I'm cynical when it comes to what I hear on Christian radio. I think I've grown, but I still very much deal with it. It still jams me to an extent, so I have to be careful how much I listen to.Joel Bruesekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-23484532257686726302008-07-02T07:48:00.000-05:002008-07-02T07:48:00.000-05:00I've gone through this stage too. Briefly. I quick...I've gone through this stage too. Briefly. I quickly realized it wasn't working. It took me maybe a year to come to commit to the Grace of God. But there are some teachers and preachers who can really pump you up even under Grace and you gotta slow yourself down lol. Because by the time Monday hits, you go out all excited but then your energy quickly drains and you get fed up with people and eventually fall off the wagon. I never want to return to that stale existence of forcing up love for God and constant introspection to make sure I was saying all the right things, doing all the right things with the right motives and even feeling the right things. Oi...But it is necessary that we go through the Law before we come to Jesus or else we don't have that foundation of knowing the Law doesn't work.Mattityahuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05549061279827942555noreply@blogger.com