I wanna have faith like Myriam. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153122599221197 –ShepherdDave, needing the Shepherd’s Spirit to freshly convict him of the sin of worldliness/independence/pride, so he’s momentarily DumbSheepDave, enjoying the bliss of Jesus-dependency To receive my weekly updates, email me, or subscribe to my blog: dumbsheepdave.comThis message was sent to weakdave@yahoo.com from: Dave McCarty | weakdave@sent.com | GospelFriendships…

Because I wanna feel good about myself.  My idols/addictions expose to me, and others, how dysfunctional I am, and that makes me feel like a loser/failure/nobody.  Sure, Jesus loves me just as I am, but do I love me just as I am?  No, my love for me is conditional.  Pride.  When I perform up…

ShepherdDave always feels alone.  Up to ME to solve the problems of the day, deal with the challenges facing me.  MY responsibility.  MY performance is always under scrutiny by ME.  I’ve lived this way all my life.  Without realizing it’s a horrible way to live. DumbSheepDave never feels alone.  Sees his ShepherdJesus behind everything and…

I’m confident I know what’s best for me.   And irritated that I have harrrd, not easy.  Agendafied.  Independent.  Prideful.  Worldly.  Sometimes Jesus loves me well, by convicting me of my sin of independence, so I can be thankful for either harrrd or easy, not knowing which would be best for me.  How could harrrd be…

but he’s blind to the enormity of his sin.  Because the outside of his cup is clean, he focuses on the cups of others.  Critical, judgmental, competitive.  Unless he likes them.  ShepherdDave loves being right.  Loves being admired.  Loves feeling worthy.  He is unsatisfied with the imputed righteousness/worthiness of Jesus.  ShepherdDave wants some of his…

every morning, and all day long.  I wake up thinking that what I see with my eyes is reality.  But there’s way more to reality.  Scripture says Jesus is behind everything and everyone, and THAT reality is way-more important to my happiness than what I see on Facebook, TV, email, or as I’m walking, driving,…

up to ME, pressure to make things happen.  With eyesight-trust, the only reality is what I can see with my eyes.  On Facebook, TV, books, walking, driving, whatever. With Shepherd-trust, I see Jesus behind everything and everyone, including potholes and jerks.  Reality.  Shepherd-trust leaves me curious, expectant, to see what Jesus does next, in me,…

the Spirit opens my eyes afresh and I realize that what’s going on in my life, is that Jesus is growing me in self-awareness and self-acceptance of my dysfunctional self.  Ahhh, it’s okay to be DysfunctionalDave.  Ahhh, so that’s why He thwarts my agenda, why things aren’t going the way I want, why I have…

because an area of idolatry appears wildly successful, I’m ShepherdDave, with the name of Jesus, but not the benefit of Jesus. When I’m DumbSheepDave, I’m so completely satisfied by my ShepherdJesus that the potential for huge success doesn’t even phase me.  Healthy indifference to the things that charm ShepherdDave. –ShepherdDave, needing the Spirit to freshly…

is secondary, and what’s primary is my goal of working through my list as DumbSheepDave, not ShepherdDave.  I have zero hope of reaching my goal, unless You give me Your Spirit, convicting me of my sin of independence/worldliness/shepherdness each time I become intense, obsessive, perfectionistic, as I work on my projects. –ShepherdDave, miracle-needy believer if…