Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2016-03-01) from his book, (UN)Qualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things (p. 54). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Do you feel and act like that is true?   Steven says, “We think, Good thing Jesus died for me, because otherwise there’s no way God could tolerate me. Like most erroneous thinking, there is a kernel of truth in this belief. God is perfectly holy. Clearly we are not. We were sinners who deserved eternal separation from God. Our only hope is the righteousness that Jesus gives us through the Cross. That’s the foundation of Christianity.   So from a legal, judicial viewpoint, when God looks at us, he sees Jesus, and that is our saving grace.” But then Steven goes on, “But from a relational viewpoint, God doesn’t merely tolerate us. He loves us, pursues us, and embraces us.”   Oh I love that. But we don’t live like that is tru...

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2016-03-01) from his book, (UN)Qualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things (p. 48). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book Steven continues this thought by saying, “God knows our identities perfectly. And I believe he wants to help us know ourselves as well.” David in Psalm 139: 23-24 shows us a great place to start.   He says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”   Steven says, “David asks God to know him, to test him, and to lead him. That’s exactly the attitude we need to take. Admit we don’t have all the answers. Recognize that God does. And commit to the process.” Steven goes on to say, “Yes, we are complicated. We’ll never understand every thread, knot, and tangle in the tapestry of our identity. But the more you grow to kn...

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2016-03-01) from his book, (UN)Qualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things (p. 42). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) David, the inspired writer of Psalm 139: 17 -18 (NLT) says, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!” Steven says, “God’s thoughts about us are as complex as we are. He doesn’t oversimplify us. He doesn’t lump us into categories, label us with scientific-sounding names, and alphabetize us on shelves.” But we do that don’t we?   Steven says, “We look at ourselves in the metaphorical mirror, sigh in disgust, and pronounce things like this: I am a failure. I am an alcoholic. I am dumb. I am hopeless. Really? With one line, with one word, we sum up our entire identity, existence, and potential? With such flippancy we dismiss our calling and st...