Finding Our Way Into What’s Real
There are so many side roads for us to wander that promise they'll give us life in Jesus, but most so many of them end up frustratingly empty. In the backdrop of the papal election in Rome, and conversations Wayne had on his recent trips to Oklahoma and the Central Valley of California, Wayne processes what it means to move from the icons we make of our religious activities into the simplicity of walking with Jesus. Our icons of prayer, worship, and even community will always fail us as will the mirages of wealth, power, and celebrity that the world holds before us. Finding our way into what's real means we'll travel with a different vision, moving away from what feels lifeless and artificial to the reality of knowing him as his life unfolds each day. He also addresses the new "hyper grace" debate to show how doctrinal issues can also be a distraction to the relationship God desires with us.
Podcast Links:
Michael Brown's article on Hyper Grace
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Happy Birthday Blessings Wayne. 🙂
This one doesn’t want to download in iTunes or browser….anyone else having problems?
Spencer, just checked everything out and it seems to be fine. Anyone else having trouble?
Just downloaded in in iTunes.
Wayne, this has got to be my all time favorite podcast ever!
The every day, every moment conversation with God you talked about is becoming a reality in my life and anymore is THE thing that enables me to live through this challenging life.
I am not sure how this came to be other than trying a multitude of ways to try to get closer to God that didn’t really help very much and the only open door seemed to be to just BE with Him and open my heart in a very down to earth way. It IS like a conversation, and yet is so profound and satisfying (and so very much doesn’t satisfy me anymore) that it is like the closest, most meaningful connection and back and forth relating that I have ever had.
This is becoming a solid reality in my life and yet is also very new and still unfamiliar at times. I guess it’s something we grow into.
Thanks for your sharing about this as is confirms, strengthens and brings more of an assurance to me that this is real, and is the way God desires to have a relationship with us and live and be with us always.
The part about talking to Him about our shortcomings, and yes, even sin, was helpful also as it strengthens our bond with Him and gives us a way to open up to His freeing us from those things in a relational way.
He looks beyond our fault and sees our need! Our vital need to be connected to Him as branches need to be connected to the vine.
And there is where a beautiful love relationship with our Creator/Father happens.
And it begins with just a simple heart to heart ‘conversation’ with Him.
Happy Birthday Wayne!
Thanks, Wayne, for the podcast. Not because my sharing is a part of it, but for the message of grace that started me on my God journey over 20 years ago.
I’ve heard many definitions of grace over those years, from the ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’ which is the most memorable, to the analogy of getting an ‘A’ in the course even before the course starts. Grace is not the license to sin, but the power to perform, knowing that you are fully loved by God. As so eloquently stated in the podcast, not necessarily the power to perform the big things, but the everyday, mundane, out-of-the limelight things as well.
Happy 60th Birthday Wayne. I’m not there yet, but it must be an important milestone. We surprised my father for his 60th, with a ‘This Is Your Life’ theme. It was a memorable day. Hope yours is just as memorable.
Hi to everyone! First of all a BIG German „Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!“ birthday wish for Wayne. Here, this is a very major „round“ one, in that it is the 60th. It would be Partied Hardy in Germany too, as appears to be your families plans for yours! Am very glad that it can happen!
From intro of podcast: „Finding our way into what’s real means we’ll travel with a different vision, moving away from what feels lifeless and artificial to the reality of knowing him as his life unfolds each day.“
Just a big Wow!
Wayne, as others have, I too want to thank you for helping to put a much needed „face“ on thoughts and considerations that apparently millions of people have been having all over the world. Although the thoughts clearly abound, it hasn‘t been easy to attach a newly needed thought PATTERN and even vocabulary to those awarenesses. That’s so at least in my case. However, from all the responses over the years to your podcasts, it seems clearly VERY refreshing for us all to have help with doing this. And you and Brad and others have been that help.
Its like awakening the Giant! After all, very little in the world, religiously or otherwise, on a daily basis helps us do this. It is truly a different „way“, in all senses of that word, than what our Everyday generally has been filled with. Now I believe that millions are simply awakening to smelling the roses; getting a grip on that, as Jesus was helping his guys and those he met along the way to do. To „smell the roses“ was never a part of any outreach programs and seiminars that I have been involved in.
Maybe one of the biggest challenges is wrestling with the baggage of a lifetime accumulation. This is a case of where simplicity is literally overwhelming!!
I love your approach, Wayne. it’s very delicate and organic, compared to the uberconfidence of so many in both camps of this conversation (actually, heated debate most of the time!). I think the difference is whether one sees the grace of God primarily as deregulating, or as captivating. Unless my understanding of the grace of God captivates my heart, and brings me closer to Him, then it is unfruitful, and just as likely to separate me in my daily experience by exciting the flesh. I think it is so important that the truth about God’s grace is allowed to “dry” before we paint over it with other aspects of truth such as being led by the Spirit, or working for the Lord. Someone doing a watercolour who wants sharp images over their backwash, must let that backwash dry fully before painting over it, otherwise all you get is a confusing mess, with no definition. People are afraid to accept the grace of God in its fulness: i.e. no more law for righteousness…….ever, because as we all know, we think it gives us a licence to sin. But it’s essential that we are confident in the grace of God, or more importantly confident in our gracious God, and completely secure in the knowledge that our faith in Jesus is absolutely sufficient, or anything built from that point on is going to be off-centre, and prone to collapse. I think it’s a testament to the grace of God that He trusts us with this powerful truth: that the one who takes it and runs with it further into independence from God, remains just as loved and just as saved as the one in whom the revelation of God’s grace inspires deeper devotion and more wholehearted worship. I am sure that no other way of dealing with mankind would ever have brought about the depth of thankfulness and wonder than His grace does. Wonderful, wonderful Jesus.
I swear I was not going to listen to this one. LOL But someone had sent me that link to Charisma about Confronting the Error to me too. I have been confronted by the doctrine police as being too big on Grace and not enough about sin. So wow, I am really grateful for this reframing of all that nonsense.
I still think, and this is from Dan Stone. When we hear a grace message and we “hear” license that is our old programming the “old man” or Paul calls it our “flesh” doing the hearing. But the Joni that is “loved” and lives loved and is a new creation she “hears” freedom. It really is that simple. I am so grateful for every conversation but especially the painful and difficult conversations about my failures. They are my true learning and growing soil.
Isn’t it interesting that either so called camp resorts to name calling and defending a position. I love living in this space that has none of that going on. Thanks once again for giving me good language for my own experience.
And thanks to all the responders to the podcast I learn something EVERY time. Sweet.
Here is my favorite verse that makes total sense to me now but didn’t when I was living under the law.
1 Corinthians 10:23 (CEB)
23 Everything is permitted, but everything isn’t beneficial. Everything is permitted, but everything doesn’t build others up.
Happy Birthday Wayne!
Wow, this one is chock full of good nuggets.
I think one of the hallmarks of my transformation is that I am now comfortable talking to God IN my sin instead of thinking I have to clean myself up to “get back in fellowship” with Him first. I mean, some times I know the right thing to do and I just don’t want to do it! Instead of hiding from Him, I can just be honest, and say Lord, I know this isn’t what I should be doing or thinking, but…fill in my fleshly reasonings here. Wow, He is so faithful to gently guide me to the answers I need to back into the right path. That’s Grace! I think maybe that’s part of what “confession” means. I admit that I regularly get a “yuck” factor with the way I’ve always understood those “confess your sins…” verses. It just seems so rote and mechanical. But the raw honesty of admitting that my thoughts or actions are wrong, even while I’m still not inclined or equipped to fix it myself, those moments are golden.
Happy BD Wayne. Such a reaffirmation after the year of changes!
RE: The Podcast. When I first found the GJ I was so angry at “the church”. The truth about God’s love for me was truly life changing. I haven’t been able to stop reading and studying Jesus and His ministry since. When I read the article on “hyper grace” I realized how my attitude has softened in the last couple of years.
My first response after “Transitions” and “The Jesus Lens” was wanting to go to the pastor of the church I attended and “pound the table” with this transformational message. Something you said about “having to be right” slowed me down to give God a chance to work in my life. I’m still marinating, thanks be to God. I’m trusting that when my heart is right God will open my mouth.
When I read the article and listened to this week’s Podcast it reaffirmed that just because I think I have something to say doesn’t mean I should say it. I’m guessing that there is such a need or pressure to publish or communicate that some leaders don’t wait on or trust God and the Gospel. They have to come up with something new or controversial to poke or prod their listeners with so “they” can maintain their relevancy/audience. We live in such an instantaneous culture. Contemplation is sacrificed. We see it everywhere religion, politics personal relationships etc.
It prods us into taking things into our own hands. I’m not sure where you spoke about the Apostles going out to minister and coming home saying the mission was complete. What a sense of peace and gratitude they must have felt.
This “hyper-grace” thing?? Are there really people out there that believe grace is a license to sin?. (not a rhetorical question).. I’m asking because it’s hard to comprehend that kind of a walk and wondering why this is a hot-button today? Will listen to the podcast again.
I thank you for keeping up the good work of shining a light in dark places:-)
Bev
Happy (belated) Birthday & Hau’oli La Hanau, Wayne! I hope you had a fantastic time with your friends celebrating you leaving the 50s (which I am entering next year).