Double Take

Today we invite you to meet our first four attendees – and friends - from the convention: Maddy Lawson & Rachel Aasheim, both of New Haven Ministries in Sioux Falls SD; Kevin Anderson of Freedom Counseling Group in Vacaville CA;  and Erick Martin of Echo Tango Marketing in Baton Rouge LA. Enjoy their stories of grace!

https://newhavensf.org

https://www.freedomcounseling.group

https://www.echotango.co

Probably most shocking in Jesus’s choices (besides choosing the man who would betray Him) was that of including a Zealot. Simon the Zealot would likely have rather died (or murdered someone) than to compromise with Rome. But he laid down his devotion to violence to learn the Way— the Way of Jesus.

Nathanael, also referred to as Bartholomew in the gospels, was one of Jesus’ original twelve disciples. Though not much is known about Nathanael’s background or personality, he is seen in the gospels to be an honest, insightful, and faithful servant of Jesus and student of the Old Testament. After the resurrection, Nathanael would go on to be a key leader in the early church.

James, son of Alphaeus (or James the “Less”), who was the second disciple chosen by Jesus. Very little is known of him. It would seem that James was a very humble follower not credited for being outspoken or doing things to draw attention to himself, as there is no mention in scripture of him being any more than an incredibly loyal student/disciple of Jesus. He seemed content with his station as one of the Twelve.

We generally know the names of the apostles. For some of us that is because of The Chosen. But we may not know the details of their lives. Let’s take a deeper look at the lives of what may be considered a few of the lesser-known disciples. We begin with James, the son of Zebedee, also known as James the Great.

If we’re righteous, why don’t we always act righteous? Why do we sometimes want to not act righteous? Because we can still be influenced by other things.

Who does the judging? This goes along with the previous series – that we are not meant to judge, but only to discern with guidance from Holy Spirit. Judgment comes from God to us as discernment. We receive God’s words, His thoughts, His decision. We don’t make the judgment, we receive His. We are always the receiver.

We have been taught, for as long as I can remember, that at some point we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Wait, I’m confused. If God, in Christ, has made us righteous, what are we being judged for at the seat of Christ?

None of us want to be judgmental. We don’t like it when we are judged by others. It’s so easy to fall into it because we are surrounded by it – in the world and in the church. So now what?

The 2 trees in the garden. We know there was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Tree of Life. This is where the problem of judgment began.

Why are Christians known for being judgmental? Because often we are.

If we’re honest we would agree that a lot of the time we are known for what we are against more than what we are for.

We just spent last week talking about the free gift of grace. But there is a cost. Not as far as God is concerned, but from people – even, or especially, other believers. The way you live and the choices you make change as you experience and understand the implications of living in grace. Some of those choices can be unpopular with your church, family, or friends. 

The word grace is thrown around a lot in Christian circles. We sing about God’s grace, preach it, post about it. There is nothing more Christian than grace. But do we get the depth of the meaning and the implications of Grace?

Divorce divides. Obviously. But not just spouses, but it can cause division between friends, families, and within churches. Whether you’ve been through a divorce, or know someone who has, we hope to help you understand, and to encourage you by sharing what we believe is God’s heart on this issue.

As we’ve said before, Rick is the “Big Picture” guy, and I am the “Practical” girl. He’s been flying the Freedom Plane, so now I’m going to attempt to land it. What specifically can freedom look like in our lives?

Every new year begins with us wishing each other a Happy New Year. I have begun wondering what exactly a happy year looks like. What would it take to live the entire year happy?