Central UMC Lenoir City
Awakening: Perfect Love
A Series on Experiencing Spiritual Awakening 9:00am Modern Worship / 11:00am Traditional Worship
Locations & Times
Central UMC Lenoir City Tn
301 Hickory Creek Rd, Lenoir City, TN 37771, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 11:00 AM
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https://www.centralmethodist.com/connectioncardCan you change? Can you change deeply? As we continue this series on awakening, we take a fresh look at an important question.
To answer this question, we must understand more about God's amazing grace. Traditionally Wesleyans have understood God's grace in this way:
1) Preveinient Grace - This is the grace God gives you before you come to faith, inviting you to himself and calling you to repentance (John 12:32, Rom 2:4). Every spiritual thought is from God.
2) Justifying Grace - This is what God does FOR us. It is God pardoning us from our sin upon confession, when we are made right with God. We are freed from the guilt and the punishment of our sin (Rom 3:23-25)
3) Sanctifying Grace - This is what God does IN us. Sin remains in us but does not reign. It is the Holy Spirit changing us to become more like him. (I These 5:23, Phil 2:12-13).
Perfect love does not mean we will never be ignorant, make a mistake, not experience temptation or infirmity. It is being made perfect in love, the holiness of heart and life. It is an intention to love God with ALL your mind, soul and strength.
How NOT to Change
1) Try Harder - Willpower doesn't work. Just ask all those who gave up their new years resolutions.
2) Information Alone - Information without accountability and love will not change us.
3) Passivity - Waiting for God to zap us is not a strategy.
How To Change (From Dallas Willard)
1) Vision - What is my vision of the Christian life? Do I see christianity as what are the minimal entrance requirements to get into heaven when I die? OR is it about knowing that I can walk with and Know God in this life. Paul's vision in Phil 3:7-10 indicates the latter.
2) Intention - This is the decision of the will. It is not a pipe dream or it would be nice to. This is "I choose to". This is what Paul says in Phil 3:12-14. "One thing I do: forget what is behind, strain toward what is ahead."
3) Method - This answers the how question. Here are three components of method.
a) Truth - I seek God's truth in my life. This spiritual input is from God's word.
b) Training - There is a tremendous difference between training and trying to do something (as John Ortberg says). I can try hard and fail. Training is the ability to organize my life around a certain outcome that I cannot do now but with intentionality I can achieve by training.
c) Tribe - You must find a community of love and accountability in order to become the kind of person you want to become. This requires trust, honestly and vulnerability.
The hope of the gospel is that you can change. This change is often slow but worth it. As the saying goes, "A black belt is just a white belt who never quit."
Application
1) What is your vision for following Jesus? Is it fire insurance or becoming like him.
2) Are you in drift mode or actively seeking God?
3) What parts of the method do you have and/or need to cultivate in your life?
To answer this question, we must understand more about God's amazing grace. Traditionally Wesleyans have understood God's grace in this way:
1) Preveinient Grace - This is the grace God gives you before you come to faith, inviting you to himself and calling you to repentance (John 12:32, Rom 2:4). Every spiritual thought is from God.
2) Justifying Grace - This is what God does FOR us. It is God pardoning us from our sin upon confession, when we are made right with God. We are freed from the guilt and the punishment of our sin (Rom 3:23-25)
3) Sanctifying Grace - This is what God does IN us. Sin remains in us but does not reign. It is the Holy Spirit changing us to become more like him. (I These 5:23, Phil 2:12-13).
Perfect love does not mean we will never be ignorant, make a mistake, not experience temptation or infirmity. It is being made perfect in love, the holiness of heart and life. It is an intention to love God with ALL your mind, soul and strength.
How NOT to Change
1) Try Harder - Willpower doesn't work. Just ask all those who gave up their new years resolutions.
2) Information Alone - Information without accountability and love will not change us.
3) Passivity - Waiting for God to zap us is not a strategy.
How To Change (From Dallas Willard)
1) Vision - What is my vision of the Christian life? Do I see christianity as what are the minimal entrance requirements to get into heaven when I die? OR is it about knowing that I can walk with and Know God in this life. Paul's vision in Phil 3:7-10 indicates the latter.
2) Intention - This is the decision of the will. It is not a pipe dream or it would be nice to. This is "I choose to". This is what Paul says in Phil 3:12-14. "One thing I do: forget what is behind, strain toward what is ahead."
3) Method - This answers the how question. Here are three components of method.
a) Truth - I seek God's truth in my life. This spiritual input is from God's word.
b) Training - There is a tremendous difference between training and trying to do something (as John Ortberg says). I can try hard and fail. Training is the ability to organize my life around a certain outcome that I cannot do now but with intentionality I can achieve by training.
c) Tribe - You must find a community of love and accountability in order to become the kind of person you want to become. This requires trust, honestly and vulnerability.
The hope of the gospel is that you can change. This change is often slow but worth it. As the saying goes, "A black belt is just a white belt who never quit."
Application
1) What is your vision for following Jesus? Is it fire insurance or becoming like him.
2) Are you in drift mode or actively seeking God?
3) What parts of the method do you have and/or need to cultivate in your life?
