A dumb sheep never wonders where he will eat tomorrow, next week, next year. That’s his shepherd’s problem/job.  A dumb sheep just eats the grass in front of him.  Ahhh. But when a dumb sheep tries to be something he’s not – a shepherd/independent, concerned about the future, the dumb sheep experiences The Curse: stress,…

most self-aware, most self-accepting.  The unhappiest believers are the proudest, least self-aware, least self-accepting.  Self-awareness without self-acceptance is depressing.  Self-awareness without the good news of Jesus’ imputed worthiness, leaves believers very proud/independent, and feeling worthless, depressed.  Self-acceptance without self-awareness makes for mean-spirited, unloving, willful, proud Pharisees, who accomplish at lot, but all by human power,…

happy, Jesus said you need to hear the word of God and keep it.  How can a human do that?  Only the self-deceived believer thinks he obeys God.   In my experience, the happiest believers — most joy-filled and peace-filled, regardless of their circumstances, have recently been convicted of their sin by the Spirit of Jesus. …

from human-powered obedience, but rather from confession of sin.  And when LIFE doesn’t flow from confession, there is more that needs to be confessed, that I don’t yet see.  LIFE is a fruit of the Spirit’s work.  I cannot convict myself of sin, cannot make myself repent.  Faith/dependency/LIFE is a gift from Jesus, so I…

who live under the constant burden of performing well, are invited by Jesus to a delightfully-easy way of living, where we no longer need to prove ourselves to God, others, self, as independents, carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders, facing life struggles alone.  Jesus modeled for us a dependent lifestyle, which is…

Stop following yourself, stop your independence, and depend on Me.  Do I follow, in the power of me?  No, that’s independence.  Dependence is a work of the Spirit, a gift from Above, as a result of fresh conviction of the sin of independence/self-confidence/self-reliance.  The fruit of dependency, is amazing humility and amazing love, joy, peace. …

From mentoring lots of believers over the years, especially grace-junkies, I’m struck by the prevalence of unconfessed self-contempt.  Why is self-contempt not viewed as the prideful sin it is?  I think it’s because it seems right to hate yourself when you sin.  But it’s not.  A humble believer extends grace to self, just like Jesus…

experience, living in this world as an independent who was made for dependency.  The Creator didn’t do a halfway job when He cursed the world.  It really is an awful place for an independent to live.  Except.  For those moments of sanity, those tastes of Heaven, when created-dependents are returned by the convicting work of…

has been forgiven much by DaddyJesusSpirit, and has the perfect, precious, pricey righteousness of Jesus imputed to him, but — wants something more.  An ingrate believer is unsatisfied with Jesus and His righteousness, wants some righteousness/performance/worthiness of his own, so he can feel good about himself.  IngrateDave. Grace is for ingrates who know they are…

I never feel like a sinner.  But I’m clear-sighted about sin in others.   However when I’m freshly convicted of my sin, see myself as a sinner, Jesus is a huge deal in my life.  Shepherd.  Lord.  Nothing else hardly matters. Jesus has almost nothing to offer non-sinners.  Just a model of a perfect, loving human,…