Finding Our Way

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Jesus standing there in the flesh on the shores of Galilee. That was the Father's eternal Son anointed in the Holy Spirit. The creator, sustainer of all that is.

And I want to give credit. I learned this from Baxter Kruger. But the reality is that is who's standing there, who's being baptized of John, and he's holding the stars, he's causing the planets to spin on their axis, yeah, in the galaxy and all the sta...

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What did you want to say about Romans 1 to 11?

That I read it.

Yeah, but as he talks about how that we die. We've been created anew. I'll tell you what. We live with him. We're joined now.

"Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

You take that scripture. I'm just giving you what the Holy Spirit ministered to me on this morning.

Go to 2 Corinthians 5...

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But sometimes... He's interacting with other people. I might be, quote, offended, but I've learned not to take offense. Yeah. In other words, it might be a half a second or two seconds, you know, and I get rid of that. That's not who I am. That's what I say.

Well, you make me think about things I really didn't want to think deeply about, James. In a sense that... I think anyone can get their feelings hurt, whet...

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If Jesus dealt with sin, Jesus dealt with death. And he did because he got up. Yeah, his resurrection is proof of it. And we were included.

I swear I want to live in that gospel. Renewing my mind, believing in my heart of hearts that I have conquered death. And I have life everlasting.

So a life. What is that? Knowing God. Knowing the Father. Knowing Jesus. What's that? Live every day in relation to Him. Walk wi...

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I don't even remember what happened, but the Lord gave me an insight that I've never had before.

And I don't know why. I mean, it's not that big of a deal or a revelation, but it was feeding me. I was listening. Or reading. That's what it was. I was reading Robin Smith's book, I think. I don't know. She's got a new book, Face to Face with God.

Romans 5, 6, 7, and 8. Basically walking through that. But anyway, Ro...

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We've just been talking. The reason I'm here talking to you right now is I've written a book. But the Lord orchestrated the events of getting this book to print. The title of it is Before Time, Our Origin in Christ. You can go to Amazon.com to search the title. And my name, James Alderman. What if the gospel is better news than we ever imagined?

I was thinking that you said something to me about freedom in Amer...

From the transcript....

My sheep know my voice. Is that what he said?

Yeah. My sheep hear my voice. He said both of them. Hear my voice. I think he did say know though.

Because he went on to say, let's get into the technicality of words. All the words before me were things of policy. Yeah, here I am. Let me see what the New King James says. Let me bring up the real Bible. Let me see what the New King James says.

Well, he said, be my me...

From the transcript...

But when you get to Jesus and His finished work, all that goes away. I'd rather not get into that. God is not imputing our trespasses against us. He reconciled us to Himself in Christ.

We didn't have anything to do with it. Just like in Adam, where we fell, we didn't have anything to do with it. Listen, I don't know what that fruit in the garden tasted like. I didn't eat it. And I don't know what that cup they ...

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Hey, be sure to run through those potholes right there. Make me feel at home.

Oh, well.

Takes a son to know the father.

I was reading this morning. For a little bit, I got to read some.

John 1:18, man, that's so good.

And then you pair that with John's gospel words—the one laying on Jesus' bosom.

John, the night before he was betrayed, he's laying on Jesus' chest.

What a picture.

The Son coming from the bosom of...

From the transcript...

In that story of what Jesus does with the woman at the well, about “I don't condemn you, go and sin no more,” somewhere he's striking that full of grace, full of truth person that he is, and of that fullness we have received.

What McDonald was talking about, I think, he was restating that concept.

God forgives us of our sins because that's what love does. It keeps no record of wrong. But his love is ...

From the transcript...

Hit your wiper so I can see.

What you want to see?

I know, but I'd like to look out the window.

I am, but I'm not going to look that way.

Yeah, I think we all get on these journeys following the Lord and trying to figure out what he wants for us and what we want in life and where those two things seem to meet or conflict.

And it's all part of our journey that seems to be, for an individual, something necessary for ...

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I'm detecting a little sarcasm. A little? I was trying to put it as heavy as I got it. Yeah, somebody's got it cleaned up now. Oh, you know there is. You ease over here a second. I'll see one. Yeah. A little white oaks there. Man, I'm going to tell you something. Tell me something.

Tell me something good, James.

I've just been realizing afresh how blessed we are. We are blessed. So many ways. So I have a good li...

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I’m going to read this out of The Message. Romans 5—just before verses 8, 9, 10, because it sets the tone so beautifully:

“There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever G...

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All right, this might be good too because I’ve got a star by it:

“The Word through whom all things were made enters into the very fabric of creation—human flesh—to renew it from within.”

We didn’t think much about that. I mean, five years of seminary, growing up in church—we didn’t really sit with the weight of the Incarnation. There wasn’t much meditation on...

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I want to talk to you about Colossians, because in Ephesians 1 it says… when you read that, what did you say?

Verses 15–16—that’s where Ephesians 1 comes to mind. Yeah, verse 15–16. We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created.

Right there.

Because he keeps bringing us back to that original pur...

From the transcript...

We do the same thing. We just repeat the pattern over and over, but we're not seeing what's happening—that Jesus came to break that pattern and to give us a different way of living. But normally we gather up in our Christian circles and we justify living under what Christ came to give us.

That’s right. Because we say, “We’re just down here in this old sinful world.” And in doing th...

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Oh man, that was a good breakfast. Always is.

Yeah—good, steady kind of place. Nothing flashy, just consistent. Good food, good service, familiar faces. Something about sitting there, coffee in hand, not in a hurry… it does something to you. Slows things down a bit.

Looks like the whole town’s out today.

Oh, they’ve got a big garage sale going on—up and down the road. One of those &...

From the transcript...

Jesus is the crescendo of God's conversation with us. He gives context and content to the authentic thought that God had in mind for mankind is voiced in him. Jesus is God's language. His name declares his mission. As savior of the world, he truly redeemed the image and likeness of the invisible God and made him apparent again in human form. The God who gave you birth is your father. Jesus is God's language. H...

From the transcript...

Well, it's because we believe that we were far from love and that heaven had turned his face. We believe that sin had slammed the door on grace and left us feeling displaced. Yeah. But could a father, son, and spirit whose bond no dark can sever create us in communion's flame, then cast us off forever? In other words, is God out of this love relationship, face-to-face-to-face, communion with himself, wants a b...