Day 1
➡ 1:10 - Called to change of perspective - We will look at scriptures that show how God is calling our perspective to change - the eye we look through. One of the biggest scriptures of my life has been, “The eye is the lamp of the body.” Matthew 6:22
1:30 - Welcoming comments.
3:00 - Living from the heart instead of the mind - Sacrament of Communion - When you do things in the gospel, do them from the heart. That’s what matters. Sometimes we are knowledge people. We live out of our heads. There is a big difference. A man doesn’t believe out of his mind but with his heart a man believes.
3:40 - We are not just applying knowledge but becoming the word through relationship - A lot of times we are just applying knowledge. We listen to sermons and say, “Oh, that’s good,” and as we go into life we try to apply sermons. That’s backwards. That’s actually a day late. That’s why we lose a lot of battles. We try to apply the scripture as life comes. We stop, look, listen and try to apply knowledge. It’s not knowledge. It’s becoming the word. It’s your intimacy and relationship with God.
➡ 4:30 - In this school we are not just going to talk about things but enter into them.
➡ 5:10 - The gospel brings change of perspective - The gospel has changed my life. It’s changed the eye I look through. There is a place to live in continuous peace and joy. There is a place, no matter what is going on around you, that you know that you know He is Lord - and you are ok in the midst of anything and able to manifest Him and respond in Him. I’m pursuing the place where Jesus walks. That’s where the power flows from. Jesus was in a good place. That’s what I believe this school will help establish.
The Heart Meaning of the Sacrament of Communion
6:10 - The idea behind a covenant - Marriage - All that is mine is yours. And all that is yours is mine. Two becoming one - entering into a covenant. That’s what marriage is called to be. You give yourself to one another with vows and solemn promises. And it is not about what you are getting from the other person, it’s about what you are giving. And in that giving, there is a giving back - it makes two into one. It’s a beautiful thing.
6:55 - Covenant is the idea behind relationship with God, as expressed in the sacrament of communion - That’s actually the Christian relationship. When we receive the blood and the body today, obviously we are remembering Jesus and what He did. The sacrament of communion enters me into covenant. When I see the blood and the body, here is what I see in my heart. I see Jesus saying to me…
7:30 - By faith see that He died for you personally - Do you understand that we live by faith? Faith is a big deal. You have to take this gospel so personal. You have to understand that when He gave His blood and His body, He died for you. He didn’t die just for us. There is a place that I know He died for us. But there is a place where I first realize that He died for me.
8:25 - During the first week I was saved I would cry, I'm saved. You came to me and I yielded to you so that I could know you. I did this for me first so that I could get right - so that I could get healthy - so that I could get free. This is all about me getting right, God. And I camped for 5 weeks in that simple place asking Him to form and mold my heart. For 5 weeks I didn’t pray for anything else. I just camped in that revelation that, You absolutely love me. You came to me through Jesus to get a hold of me - to get my attention and to get me back. And this is (making) you first. I did this to get right - so that I could give something back. So it was all about me in the beginning in a sense. It was all about me being changed. So when I am taking communion personally, I realize that He died for you guys, but what I see first is that He died for me. It starts there.
9:40 - Identity from other sources - Not healthy - If you don’t get hold of that you are going to find your identity in giving and serving because that sounds Christian. You are going to cycle. But giving and serving doesn’t mean it’s coming from a healthy place. Sometimes the people who give and serve the most are the ones who draw identity from it because they don't FEEL real good about their own identity. It makes them FEEL good to do something good. No, you want to minister out of the wholeness and fullness of who Christ is in your heart.
11:15 - Intimate covenant - Here is what Christ is saying to me every time I take communion, “All that is mine is yours Dan.” How intimate is that? How valuable does that make me if I camp out in that truth for a season in my life. I took communion every day for a long time. He made it so real to me. Why? I was stepping out in faith to believe it. And I was alone, so it didn’t have anything to do with being seen. When it’s behind a closed door, it’s clean. It’s very powerful when done individually. What makes it powerful corporately is when it is who you are not what you are doing.
➡ 12:35 - I'm laying a foundation for what we are going to cover in this whole school.
13:10 - Get alone and step out to believe that you are worth that blood and that body. Why? Because of what you have accomplished? No, because He sees that value in you.
13:35 - You can take communion in your heart even without the communion elements.
14:30 - Knowing that I’m worth the blood through spending time with Him in a place of faith - It’s one thing for me to have that knowledge and say, “My life is worth the blood.” That’s doctrinally true. It sounds great. It’s another thing for me to KNOW, my life is worth the blood. How do I know that my life is worth the blood? Because I am spending time in a place of faith. My life is worth your blood. That’s amazing. Teach me what that means. Show me. Make that so real to me that when I look in the mirror I see what you see. You are not a fool. You are Lord of the universe. So if you died for me, I’m worth it - period. I start there. We are “yeah but” people if we are not careful. You can’t be a “yeah but” person. If God says you are worth the blood. Guess what? You are worth the blood. So that truth must be bigger than how you FEEL, how you are producing or not producing, how your life is going right now.
15:20 - Accepting what God says about me - That’s the trap. We try to make that stuff right - to prove it’s right (we try live up to it) instead of accepting it. That’s backwards. He died for you first. You were yet a sinner. You didn’t look anything like a son or a daughter. And He already died. Why? Because He already knows.
16:10 - Truth is your best friend - We are going to look at scriptures to establish our hearts in truth because if we continue in His word we will know the truth and the truth will make us free - John 8:31-32. Truth is your best friend. You’re not just waiting for a fuzzy feeling or for a manifestation and for God to just land on you. If He does that that’s great. I have never waited for that. Truth is dawning in my heart. You are waking up to truth and it is becoming my reality and it seals in your perspective. And it’s all you know now. I don’t even try to stay sharp in some things. It’s what I have become. It’s what my heart beats.
17:30 - Sacrament of communion - When you are taking this communion covenant consider this, You know what God, all that is yours is mine. You didn’t hold back your blood or your body. You are still seated at the right hand interceding on my behalf daily. That’s Jesus right now, today - His face before the Father. He’s mediating. He’s pouring out grace. So all that is His is mine. You have to receive that in your heart first.19:00 - Consider your response - all that is mine is yours. That doesn’t just mean your everyday availability. It means you have the right to my perspectives - you have access to my mindsets, my heart. I'm not going to be a “yeah but” Christian. All that is mine is yours. So whatever you want to say to me, touch me, transform me, I’m yours. I’m making myself totally vulnerable and accessible. I'm going to trust you.
20:00 - Feeling uncomfortable alone with Him. Afraid of the light on them.
20:40 - You are the steward of your heart. Only God and you know your heart. I will never judge that unless your fruit judges that. Some things are obvious. But I won’t presume. What you do with your heart, you have to live with. And your conscience and heart go hand in hand. So be your best friend and do right by your conscience and live true to your heart.
21:45 - Temptation after being saved - After you are saved the pull of sin doesn’t change but I changed. If you don’t start living true to your heart satan will have a field day with your conscience.
22:00 - Driving through town and seeing the women after being saved. Different man.
23:00 - Father, I so thank you that you have transformed my life. It’s not even in my heart to sin - to want - to covet. I'm a blessed married man. And you are in me and I am in covenant. I’m righteous and clean. And I would declare my faith like that. It’s amazing how powerful that is.
24:20 - Jesus was tempted at all points. Temptation is never sin.
25:00 - Sacrament of communion - All that is mine is yours. It’s like a marriage covenant.
25:40 - Communion at New Life for Girls - like a wedding - vows - taking the elements was like a ring going on the finger. These are little things that Holy Spirit can build in your heart and make things so real. To where your knowledge isn’t just knowledge but true revelation.
27:30 - Freedom from fear - The gospel has taught me how not to fear.
➡ 27:50 - In this school we’re going to be talking about making our everyday normal like God’s normal. And it’s not what we’ve been used to.
28:00 - Like I don’t understand fear any more. Jesus said do not fear and He is the Lord. There is grace available to transform my life to be able to live free from it if we understand and yield. Grace can make that my reality. It’s not a bite your lip kind of Christian thing.
29:00 - Not through my own strength, just applying knowledge - We are often biting our lip, trying to apply knowledge. And we try to DO that, calling it “working out our salvation”. I used to just know that I should be good. There are some thing that I should and shouldn’t do. But that’s not what transforms your life.
29:40 - The word becomes flesh - So if Jesus said, do not fear, there must be a way to live free from fear - regardless of what happens. How? Because Christ in you is dominating you - you’re in covenant with Him - you’re one with Him. You’re growing into a place where the gospel defends you in every situation because you have become the word. The word has become flesh.
30:00 - Sacrament of communion - Just be mindful of Him. You could use milk and a cheerio. You can take communion every day and never have the elements. Because you stay mindful of Him and remember. Do everything from the heart. Receive it personally. Appreciate the blood and body.
God Reality through Intimate Relationship
35:00 - Not just knowledge about Him but relationship with Him - We’re in a relationship with almighty God. And sometimes we don't make the distinction that He is in us. A lot of time what we do is more knowledge based than love / relational reality. So we have tons of knowledge in the church - we know what the Bible says. But after a while it works against you because you look inside your heart and you realize that it’s not my reality and that tries to condemn you.
36:00 - Intimately relating to God - Speaking to Him through the day. Sometimes other things take the place of that intimate conversation - CD player etc. Get your heart in tune with God and develop a relationship with Him and commune with Him. It’s not a chore to check off the list. I probably should pray right now. I probably ought to read the Bible.
37:30 - Faith in God becomes God reality through communing - It becomes your reality. It’s not even faith. We know God is real. I’m not trying to believe that God is real. He’s real. Why? Because of spending time with Him communing. So faith will take you to a place where it’s your reality. ➡ That’s where I believe we are heading in this school.
Conviction can Lead to Greater Intimacy
38:40 - Shouldn’t we examine our conscience before taking communion? - There is a place for taking account of your heart and your life. You don’t want to just take communion religiously. But from the heart. If you are sincere and personal in remembering, there is an examination that takes place in your heart.
40:00 - Holy Spirit exposes things (conviction) - And change happens through relationship - Teaching relationship. Holy Spirit, I just yield to you. Just search me right now and if there is any way that I am thinking, any thing in my heart or life that is not productive… It’s amazing how He will illuminate and you will see something for what it really is. When the light is on it you see if for what it really is. Mindset and mentalities are like that. (They are exposed in the light that Holy Spirit brings.) They have been “normal” our whole life - we’ve thought certain ways our whole lives. Unless you enter into this place of relationship, when will that ever change. You can even know what the Bible says and some of our motives and mindsets don’t get strongly challenged because it’s just the way you have flowed and functioned your whole life - the way that seems right to a man.
41:00 - The way that seems right - I believe that is one of our biggest enemies - the way that seems right - Prov. 14:12. The devil just cheers that on because he is in that way. I don’t think it’s so much the devil sneaking around like the boogie man. I think it’s mindsets - shaded motives. Because then they complicate your conscience - violate your conscience - shipwreck your faith.
41:50 - Violated conscience - Getting by without intimacy - Why would you approach God when you are all alone if your conscience is violated? It would be hard. Some people pray from a distance. They call it prayer but they don’t have communion with God - intimate connection. There are marriages that go through the motions of marriage and hold down the fort and do each other’s responsibilities but don’t really have the intimate side of marriage - open face, eye to eye, expression of me in you and you in me. But yet they are still married and 30 yrs. later they are having an anniversary. But there is an element missing.
42:40 - Christian life without intimate communion - You can live your Christian life like that easily. You can pray about stuff and that is your contact with God. And that’s not your contact with God at all - (just praying about stuff). In fact, the way you pray about stuff will totally change through relationship with God. A lot of it is just conversation - communion. I'm so glad you are aware of that. I know how good you are. And I appreciate you being for us. Not - Father I really need this and I'm believing this - and you quote four scriptures because it feels spiritual. That becomes our Christian identity - still full of fear - still looking over our shoulders - wondering if God is moving.
43:40 - When you are doing that, you are actually expressing that you don’t have intimacy. You don’t know Him. That’s not meant to be condemning. You know what Lord, right now, I need you in this area of my life...I know that you are for us. It’s impossible that you couldn’t be for us. You said you are for us and not against us. It’s impossible that you are out there not paying attention. It’s all going to work to the good because you love me.
44:30 - Very few people pray this way. They confess scripture over their trouble and hope it works. No, we are growing in relationship.
45:45 - Take these scriptures that I am going to give you as the foundation for your life from this point on. Let them spring you into a place of communion so that the scripture becomes your revelation.
46:10 - Asking questions in class.
Communing through the Word
50:00 - Honor the word - This is what faith looks like on your end. No matter how you feel, no matter what everyone around you is saying, you have to honor the word and settle in your heart once and for all and begin to affirm that in prayer - that God’s way is the way. It’s in the word of God. It’s true. You can’t let it be subject to change. Honor the word above everything. That’s not some overly militant statement. When I read this (the Bible), it’s life to me.
50:55 - Read the word to know Him - Let your motive in everything be to know Him - I don’t ever open this up just to do my Bible reading or read it for knowledge. I don’t read it to know what it says. I read it to know Him. There is a motive in my heart always to know Him. Holy Spirit, you are awesome. Thanks for showing me the truth through the word. Thanks for transforming my life… It may be just a simple thought like that. Sometimes I don’t even get to read but I will just talk to Him. You are the one who brings revelation to men. You are the one who walked with Jesus and empowered Him. You’re the Spirit of revelation and understanding. And Holy Spirit, I don’t want Bible knowledge. I must know you. And I want to become what this says. And I thank you for grace that illuminates me and grace that transforms me. And I am saying yes to your word. And I’ll commune like that. And I won’t, a whole lot of times, read a whole chapter. I won’t make it through a whole chapter without communing.
52:30 - Example - peace with God - I’ll read that I am justified by faith and have peace with God. God, it’s amazing that I have peace with you. There’s nothing that can separate us ever. I’m one with you. You’re one with me. That’s real in me. This is us. It’s not Bible knowledge - I have peace with God.
53:15 - God reality through communion - How’d you get there Dan? Jesus took me there. I got there by communing with Him, by seeking Him in that (secret) place. By believing that and expressing that personally. And His response to me is grace - bearing witness to my heart - touching me tangibly - or me just feeling that peace. He communicates with us a lot of ways - through people, the word, impressions.
54:10 - Sometimes I will be driving and a whole paragraph of truth will drop into me. It’s because I am communing and asking Him questions.
54:30 - Example - peace with God (continued) - Lord, I will never, ever stand before you and answer for sin. You’ve purified my heart. And I know that the last thing that I am thinking is sin and missing the mark. I don't even ever want to sin. God, if it was possible to never miss the mark, I would say yay! So God, my heart is before you. When you are praying like that, sin loses its luster, it’s power, its voice, its pull. That becomes your reality. And all of the sudden you are coming out of the secret place in the strength of your righteousness. You’re wearing your identity. And it’s not a confession sheet.
Stewardship of Your Heart
55:30 - You are the steward of your own heart - The privilege of knowing Him - What you do with what I am saying right now is up to you. It’s the way it is. It’s the only answer for revelation. But it’s not an “I have to do this” kind of thing. You get to do this. You get to know Him. Paul said, “O, that I may know Him…” - Phil. 3:10. Jesus said eternal life was knowing Him - John 17:3.
56:00 - Knowing ABOUT Him v. knowing Him - I don’t just want to know about Him. You can know all about Him and yet it not be your reality. You’re not seeing results. It’s not your experience. What the word is saying is not your life. We think that by sitting under the teaching and quoting it is going to make it our life. No, it’s when you take it personally, in the face of your feelings…
56:35 - You might even say, “Well, I don't FEEL like I have peace.” Well, you are not ever called to live out of your feelings.
56:45 - Accountability partner - Live true to your heart - I am the most militant, disciplined accountability partner to my life that I will ever have. You probably couldn’t hold me as accountable as I hold myself. I have the word. I hold my own heart. I talk to my soul, “Soul, you are going to bless and not curse. You are going to bless the Lord and all that is in you is going to bless His holy name.” I know that I live true to my heart. Why? Because I have learned - why wouldn’t I want to live true to my heart? Because if I don’t live true to my heart I bust up my conscience and shipwreck my faith - 1 Tim. 1:19. Now I am still a Christian and I have a real problem. I need to treasure and cherish these things - my heart and my conscience and my faith.
Communing through & Becoming the Word
57:50 - Ephesians 4:1 and reading - Communing as you read the word - As I am reading my Bible in a secret place… - I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, - When I read something simple like that I may just pray, Lord, there are reasons that I am called. I think I understand why. I know that I am called to suffer for doing good - to manifest you in every situation - to walk in joy - to walk in peace as long as possible. Illuminate my heart to your call… This is how I am responding when I am reading the word. Otherwise it will be something you just quote.
58:45 - Become what you read - The Word becomes flesh - But it's about becoming what you read. The word becomes flesh - John 1:14. You don’t know the word until you become the word. The evidence that you know it is when you become it. Just knowing it can be a detriment in the long run.
59:10 - v.2 - Communing through lists in scripture - With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; - When you are alone and read a list like that, how do you hold yourself accountable? How do you enter into relationship with God? Lowliness - Right there you search your heart without doing it in a destructive way - Lord, it’s my heart to be humble. I want to come in low. I have no need for man to esteem me… That’s how you “put it on” - Eph. 4:24.
1:00:00 - Putting on Christ - Becoming the word through communion - How do you put on Christ? If you are not doing it this way through communion it will be legalistic. You are just trying to be lowly. That is so plastic. No, you become lowly. You are not just living the part. You are becoming the part.
When You've not Become the Word
1:00:40 - When you haven’t become it yet - Don’t get condemned - Pure heart - When you know that you haven’t become it yet… First of all you have to be careful that you are not coming under the eye of your own judgement and looking at yourself apart from grace and how God sees you. Some people, especially pure hearted people, are harder on themselves than anyone I have ever seen. Satan takes advantage of their pure hearts. You so love Jesus and you are so in love with Jesus and what happens is you get condemned because you feel like you can’t measure up to your love for Him. And it works frustration in you. It’s a cycle and a trap. You are already self-condemning and holding yourself to a standard that is above grace or apart from grace.
1:02:20 - What do you do when you realize that you have not become what you are reading? - (e.g. - Gentleness) (When you read it and realize…) That is not how I am. This is why we are in this school so we can talk about this stuff. First of all, you are never condemned...
Condemning mindsets are never from God - If your mindset beats you down it’s never the Spirit of God. If your mindset is demeaning, hard pressing, not building you up, restricting, “dumb me, bad me”, it’s not God. God is gracious and loving and awesome.
Example of communing - Express your "want to" to Him - So here is what I do when I am reading something and I realize that that is not my life right now. The first thing I do is to thank God for the light in my life that helps me to see that. Your word is making such a change in my life that things that seemed “normal” are challenged by your light. Shine your light in my life. Anything that is exposed is removed. Right now when I am reading this I am realizing that this is not my reality. Lord I surrender to you and thank you I am a man of God. I thank you that your grace is in my life. I thank you that it is in my heart to be gentle. You start proclaiming that. You start yielding your heart to that. And you yield your “want to” to Him.
1:04:50 - Self-condemnation - Purest hearts struggle - The purest people I know struggle with that… Your job is not to judge yourself but to present yourself to Him holy, blameless and above reproach. Enjoy the ride. Thank God the light is on. Thank God that you care and can cry about some things. It means your heart’s alive.
1:06:35 - When I see tears like that, it shows me that your heart is pure. You care. That’s a big deal. You’ve got to build on THAT.
1:07:00 - Pure heart and identity crisis - When you come to me broken - “I can’t believe I just did that.” It’s an identity crisis problem. It’s an esteem issue. You fail to see who you are. You see yourself for less than who you are and you are producing less fruit than who you are. The fruit is less than truth. It’s a cycle. But your heart is suffering in the process. You really care. Your heart is actually pure. It’s what you are failing to see that is deceiving you. Your heart is actually pure. (It’s an understanding (seeing) issue.)
1:08:15 - Conviction - Light is a good thing - Not condemning - Light is given to you to move you forward not to condemn you. Why not say, Wow, I am so glad that you are illuminating these things in my life. Your grace is working these things in me because I want these things. Father, your heart and my heart are one. You didn’t shed your blood for me because I am a loser. You shed your blood for me because I’m a son. Your grace is empowering me to change. Thank you for being a Father to me.
1:09:00 - Believing the truth of what Christ has made me… Of who I was created to be. Yes, you should have paid the price for me.
1:10:10 - God’s love is not a mystery - He died for you because you were created in His image. You were created to be sons and daughters. We do know why He died - why He paid that price. He paid that price to redeem you and get you back to that place where God said you were from the beginning.
1:10:30 - Sin mentality keeps His love a mystery - The only reason it remains a mystery is if we are sin-conscious at times. We preach God way up here and us way down here and “It’s a wonder He even considers us.” That’s not the gospel. He’s a Father. That makes us sons. So yes, He should have. According to Him it’s the only thing He could do. He was predestined before the foundation of the world to be slain for the redemption of His kids. He is reestablishing you as His kids. Adoption as sons.
1:11:45 - Light is given to expose, not condemn - Don’t let those convictions turn on you and beat you down. Let them be your best friend. Let them train you and teach you. Yay God, you are showing me something in my life.
1:12:10 - Light is given to expose, not condemn - example: - Snap judgements. Light given to expose that. I rejoiced and grow in truth through the expression of my weakness. I’m not trying to miss it.
1:13:55 - Summary answer to question - You thank God for the light in your life. You pray out the truth of your desire. And you thank God that that is who you really are in Him. And you appreciate Holy Spirit working that in you.
➡ 1:14:25 - Becoming love - It’s all about becoming love. We’ll be talking about that this whole school. What love really is. Love is as much a perspective and a motive - it fleshes out in a perspective and motive. When you become love by the grace, your motives and perspective line up to it. We’ll cover all of this stuff.
Grace meets Faith
1:15:00 - Could you define God’s grace? - God’s grace is God’s willingness to use His power and ability on your behalf. It’s Him making you into what you could never be by yourself. It’s more than just unmerited favor. It’s God’s power working in your life to mold you and make you into what you could never make yourself.
1:16:05 - Saved by grace through faith - We are saved not by works but by grace through faith - Eph. 2:8-9. Where does grace come from? It comes from faith. You know how you waiver in your mind and are tossed to and fro and can’t receive anything from God even though grace is there? Why? Because it’s not mixed by faith. - For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. - Hebrews 4:2.
1:17:00 - Faith says you are who you are in Christ no matter how you FEEL - no matter what you have done - no matter your daily progress. Faith establishes you through the finished work of Christ - calls you a son - already accepted. And as you agree with that… You have to be to do. This is how you become. You be a son. You be forgiven. You be redeemed. “Well I don’t feel redeemed.” Well you are redeemed. The Bible says you are redeemed. So be redeemed. Father, I am just believing right now that I’ve been redeemed through the blood. And I thank you that it was your good pleasure to do that. You did that because you wanted to. I take things that personal.
1:18:00 - Grace meets faith - Your faith becomes your reality - I can’t explain how it works. It’s supernatural. Grace comes upon your faith and what you are believing and it makes it your reality. I start believing God loves me through the word, to the point where I am responding in prayer and all of the sudden... (He loves you - it’s your reality.) Camp in that truth until grace touches that truth and makes it yours. At this point I am not waking up trying to believe God loves me. He absolutely loves me. And I am enjoying it, not still trying to believe it. What made that happen? Grace made that happen.
1:19:25 - Grace makes seeing people like God sees them possible.
1:19:50 - Grace response to faith - There has to be faith. Grace works according to the measure of faith. Romans 12:3 No faith, no grace. Even though the truth is still the truth. Whether you are feeling it or not you are saved through Christ Jesus. Grace makes a truth your reality through the expression of faith in that truth.
1:20:30 - Trying to live apart from faith and grace - legalistic, rule book mindset - Sermon on the mount - It’s impossible to live that. It’s impossible to live the Christian life. If you try to do what He is saying, there is no way. When a Christian lives that way apart from faith and grace, it becomes almost a rule book. You are not biting your lip trying to do it. No, this is the heart of God (the sermon on the mount) - the nature of God - the character of God - this is who God is. And guess who He created me to be like and in His image. So I start agreeing with that and accepting that.
1:22:00 - Receiving the grace of forgiveness and becoming the grace of forgiveness - I’m not struggling with forgiveness. I'm not forgiving so that I can be forgiven. That’s a legalistic mentality. I'm forgiving because I am already forgiven. I have received forgiveness. That’s all under grace. People that struggle being forgiven struggle forgiving. If you are not receiving the grace of forgiveness, you have trouble giving the grace of forgiveness.
1:23:35 - The enemy messes with the belief system - Why? Because no faith, no grace - Here’s the deal. No faith, no grace. So believing is a big deal. Believing - established in your heart on what truth is. If you were the enemy wouldn’t you want to mess with the belief system of Christians? Get in there heads to get to their hearts. If you don’t know what you believe you can’t release a steady faith to receive a steady flow of grace to become what you have (the truth you are believing in the first place).
1:24:20 - So the sermon on the mount is impossible to live on your own but with God all things are possible because of grace. As you yield in faith and the “want to,”... Who wants to love just like God loves? If you do, that is a great place to be.
1:26:10 - Saying no to transformation - retaining rights - Some people don’t want to love like God loves. They don’t want to change. They reserve rights. When you deny yourself, you die to those rights. The Christian life is just the journey and pursuit to look like Him. When you reserves rights, your Christian life is just a confession - I incorporate God into my life for what He can do for me but I really don’t want to become like Him. That’s exposing motive. You want the blessing of the Lord but not the nature of the Lord. But when you have the nature of God you ARE blessed.
1:28:30 - The well you live from determines the water.
Read through Grace - See through Grace
1:28:45 - John 10:17 - The reason my father loves me is that I lay down my life… Could you expound on that? It sounds like the doing came before the loving. -
Fruit is evidence of identity of the tree - Don't read legalistically - If you read that legalistically you think oh my, God doesn’t love me because I haven’t done much of what He has asked. John 14:21 - He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. - You read that and you think, “Oh my goodness, there is no hope for me.” You can read this legalistically and not understand grace and the new covenant and the love of God that sent Jesus Christ while you were yet a sinner. You can read this and think, “I must not even love God. I wonder if I am even saved.” And that will make you sad. No, He is affirming that when you are walking out His word, that’s a sure evidence that you have surrendered to His word, His truth and you love Him and have given yourself to Him. Who know that there is a place where you know God and are growing in truth.
1:32:00 - The gospel purifies the heart - When people come to me crying and broken over a mess up, I say, “Man, I am sure glad to see how the gospel is purifying your heart. And they will go, “What? Didn’t you hear what I did?” They think that I am going to treat them like they are treating themselves. No, I'm going to treat them like Jesus would. I see who you really are. The gospel has made you care. God can work with that. So many times we see ourselves with a condemning eye. That’s the devil making sure that you stay in place and grow up into him (the devil) in all things.
1:33:40 - Pastor Don W’s comments on rejecting self-condemnation.
1:35:00 - If is not adding to your life or edifying your life, it’s not from the Lord.
1:35:40 - Renewed in the spirit of your mind - Eph. 4:23.
1:36:00 - Being loved by God - There is a big difference in saying, “God loves you.” That is always right. It’s another thing to be loved by God - where you are experiencing that love - the benefit of that love - everyday tangible experience of God’s love. You can theologically know that God loves you or you can walk being loved by God.
1:37:00 - The goal of our instruction is love... - 1 Timothy 1:5 Because everything flows out of that. This is not a signs and wonders school. I don’t dwell on signs and wonders. ...Through a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith. So the goal of our instruction is becoming love. Everything flows from love.
1:38:30 - Interpretation of OT and NT should point to Jesus - So now you read the Old and New Testaments in light of this love. See the grace in everything. Everything points to Christ. If your interpretation doesn't point to Christ and the NT it’s missing the point because everything is leading up to Him. The whole focal point of the Bible is Jesus.
1:39:10 - Animal skins point to Christ - Righteousness in the Adam and Eve story - He took off their fig leaves and robed them Himself with skins - shedding of blood. Fig leaves - man made effort to cover - Gen. 3:7. He took it off of them and said be righteous in my sight. He gave them a promise of the seed coming to crush the enemy - Gen. 3:15. Righteousness in Genesis 3. Because Christ came, I can go back and read that and it makes a lot more sense. He still was a Father to them and clothed them with His own hands. You don’t even make it to chapter three and there is a revelation of Christ.
1:41:30 - John 14:21 (continued) -
1:43:20 - Comparing ourselves among ourselves. It’s a common thing for people to beat themselves up and weigh themselves short.
1:45:20 - You are worth the blood. Realize that. Let that become real to you. Truth makes you free.
1:46:00 - v.22-23 - Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. -
1:46:30 - “I love you.” - very misused. We say it to serve ourselves many times.
1:47:10 - You have to see this is all grace.
1:47:40 - BREAK
➡ 1:50:20 - Knowing God is our pursuit - Let me summarize today because today is a foundational day. Nothing surpasses your ability to spend time with Him. There is nothing more important in your life than knowing Him. Knowing Him is our pursuit. It’s eternal life. You’re not praying a prayer to go to heaven. We have been sold that bill. Heaven is knowing Him.
1:51:20 - Camp in a truth until it becomes your reality - Simple is good. If Jesus said it, that works for me. I’m going to stay there until it becomes my reality. If Jesus said it, that’s above all. If He said it, there is a place for that to be mine.
➡ 1:51:50 - Knowing God - If Jesus said, that eternal life is knowing God and His Son, Jesus Christ, that’s huge. So that is what I want to pursue - Knowing God. This whole 13 week school is calling us into that place and teaching us what that looks like without me sidetracked or discouraged.
1:52:20 - It's not TRYING to be Christian - It's knowing Him - It’s a grace to wake up and not TRY to be a Christian. No, you are waking up to know Him. You are waking up a son or daughter. You are waking up saved - forgiven. You are waking up His. You’re not waking up TRYing to live a better life. There are so many sincere Christians who try to DO these things and that is why they are so aware of what they are not. No, the Holy Spirit is forming Christ in me as I am walking in the strengths of what He has already provided - the things that are already established - I’m forgiven - I’m His - He loves me - He’ll never leave me - He’s not mad at me. I wake up in that.
1:53:30 - God says "always" and "never."
His Purpose for Me - Manifest Love
1:54:30 - Philippians 3 - All of Paul’s achievements, heritage He counted it all to mean nothing, that he would not have his own righteousness but the righteousness that comes from God. The only righteousness that he wanted was the righteousness that comes through Christ.
1:55:30 - Philippians 3:12 - God has a purpose in my redemption - Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. - That means there is a purpose, a reason, a motive in the heart of God to lay hold of me. And it’s a lot more than praying a prayer to go to heaven. The thing that Paul is talking about is intense. What is he talking about? The transformation of your life. To where who He is (His image, His nature) is reproduced in you. Two have become one.
1:57:20 - We are the dividend to God of His divine deposit - A seed after it's own kind - Each seed produces after its own kind. Jesus is a seed that fell to the ground and bears much fruit. Unless a seed dies and falls to the ground abides alone. So that is why we die to get into the gospel. We die so that we don’t keep abiding alone. We die so that we can really live and we spring up and bear much fruit. So Jesus was a divine deposit into the earth to reap an amazing dividend. We are the dividends of God. He put one child into the earth and received a bunch of children.
2:00:00 - Transformation through intimate relationship - Nothing compares to your ability to spend time in His presence. So you purposing to be unveiled in face so he can kiss you. Behold Him with unveiled face. 2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. - We are changed into His image.
2:01:30 - Philippians 3:12 (continued) - His purpose for me - becoming love - There is something more than just living a good life and going to heaven. There is a reason Jesus laid hold of me. This is a foundational scripture. There is a purpose in God redeeming me. And it’s not just to go to heaven but to get heaven back into us - for us to take on the nature of God and manifest love.
God's purpose - To manifest Himself through the Us - The Church
2:02:10 - Ephesians 3:8 - Enjoy the process of growing - Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; - Talking about a life long joy. It just gets better and better. I'm going to know Him more and more. Why am I getting worse? He gets a little more real. It’s a journey you enjoy. You grow up into Him. Seeds grow. They stay in the right elements and they grow. Enjoy the process. Don't cut yourself off.
2:03:00 - Focusing on the negative - Don’t go, “Oh, but I'm not where I should be.” - Striving and introspectively looking at yourself with a negative resume. There’s no encouragement in their heart. They are focusing on where they are not. You are not going to do well walking in grace and love. No, rejoice and enjoy where you are at.
2:05:00 - Change the way you think - repentance. A person can be changed from unrighteous to righteous in a 30 second window. They see truth and yield to it just like that.
2:05:35 - Follow your convictions - You are the steward of your own heart. Please be a friend to yourself. If you have a conviction, walk it out. Don’t just sit on it and ignore it because it will flip into a condemnation. “You’ve known that for a long time and you don’t even care. I wonder if you are even saved.” Thank God for the conviction.
2:06:40 - Submit to God to resist the devil - By submitting to God you are resisting the devil - re: James 4:7. You are not fighting the devil. He’s defeated. Stop fighting a battle that is already won. Your fight is not the devil but submitting to God.
2:07:00 - The good fight of faith - 1 Tim. 6:12 - That doesn’t mean it takes faith to fight the devil. It’s the good fight of remaining in the faith in the face of life. Good - because it’s full of grace and favor and victory.
2:07:40 - v.9 - And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: - To make all see what the connection of this mystery is to their life. Right before this Paul tells us that the mystery is revealed.
2:08:15 - v.10 - The intention of God for your life - To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, - The intention of God for your life. God is transforming man back into original value (mint condition). He is revealing who He is right in the face of darkness through people who are wearing this gospel and knowing that they are sanctified and set apart - people that are not ashamed to be called His - not ashamed to be righteous. The only part you play is saying yes. This thing is so simple. The Christian life is so simple. It’s just saying yes.
2:10:20 - v.11 - According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: - Everything that is necessary for you to manifest wisdom in the face of life is already accomplished. He accomplished it in Christ.
2:10:40 - v.12 - In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. - We have boldness, not veiled faces. We have confidence because of faith in Him, not yourself.
2:11:20 - v.13 - Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. -
2:11:45 - v.14-16 - For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; - Then after this, his whole prayer is becoming love - receiving and becoming love. Why? Because that is the finished work of Christ.
To Fulfill God's Purpose - We Become Love
2:12:20 - v.17-19 - That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. - So the whole reason he prayed that prayer is to know the love of Christ which passes all understanding. To be filled with all the fullness of God. If we are going to fulfill God’s intent to manifest wisdom through the gospel through His church we are going to have to become love and take on the nature of God. And that is the finished work of Christ in you and I. That’s the whole intent of God. And we have turned it into a prayer to go to heaven and get your name in a book. We’ve turned it into God meeting your needs and answering your prayers.
2:13:15 - And if you don’t have a right understanding of why you are saved you’ll be disappointed and frustrated.
2:14:45 - John 8:31-32 - Defining a disciple - Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. - Your biggest challenge is to abide in His word in the face of a whole lot of other wisdom out there - in the face of a whole lot of other feelings out there. He didn’t say go make a bunch of confessing Christians. He said go make disciples. And now He is defining what a disciple is - one that continues in His word - he knows the truth and the truth makes him free.
215:45 - It's not a method - It's a relationship - Even if what you are saying you believe and what you are praying isn’t happening, you have to have already established the will of God for the situation. Or else you reduce the gospel to a method and you are not seeing the results. And you are saying, "Why isn't it working?" And your language proves that it's a method. It’s a relationship that we are growing into. And faith works through love - Gal. 5:6.
2:16:15 - Pursue knowing Him. Wear His love. There is not one reason on the planet that disqualifies you from His love. The Bible says that if you receive the gift of righteousness and the abundance of grace, you will reign in this life - Rom. 5:17. So spend time with Him - driving in the car... Learn to grow and develop relationship. I’ll never get to know who He is unless I spend time with Him. It’s your biggest privilege to get to know Him.
2:17:15 - Closing prayer