dumb sheep dave

Promoting Jesus Dependency

  • The happiest Christians,

    are thank-ers about evathang, because they’re content to be clueless-about-what’s-best, dunno what’s thankable and what’s not, trusting their SovereignShepherdJesus to know, and trust that He’s behind everyone and everything, so they can relax and enjoy the ride. No frustration, discouragement, anxiety. Problem is, this happiness doesn’t last long, and depends on the convicting work of…

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  • Great example of a GospelFriendship.

    I mentor a number of CEO’s of nonprofit ministries. For the past several years I’ve been mentoring Pete and Wendy Hileman, as the three of us go through the suffering together of Wendy’s Parkinson’s, and as Pete has been leading one of my favoritest ministries, to the poor in Philly. Below is his latest update…

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  • I feel good about myself after I watch a movie.

    Whether I like it or not. Whyzat? I think I’m addicted to analyzing, critiquing, judging, and I do that with every movie I watch. Thumbs up, or down. I agree or disagree with the IMDB rating, and by however many points. It’s God-like. Heady thing to sit in judgment over everything and everyone. So when…

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  • The Jesus-like new self is an enjoyer

    of everyone just as we are, and everything just as it is, all according to the genius plan of Jesus, but the worldly-like old self is a judge/competitor to everyone. We worldly Christians frequently need the Spirit to freshly convict us of our worldliness, so we momentarily stop being wise in our own eyes, leaning…

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  • Why has Jesus placed other humans

    around us? So we can judge them? Or ENJOY them? Just as they are? Just as He’s created them? Are we Christians judges/competitors, or ENJOYers? Did Jesus really command us to love our “enemies” — humans most different from ourselves? — Dave McCarty, GospelFriendships, normally judge/competitor of all, except when freshly convicted of functioning as…

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  • The values that are basically responsible

    for where I am today, have been WRONG. Ambition, determination, strength, hustle, competitiveness, analyzing, critiquing, judging, striving for excellence, are all worldly values, where reality is informed by eyes and ears, not Scripture. “And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another.” Eccl 4:4 When I became a…

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  • When I have tension in my body,

    I feel ALONE and in CHARGE of my life. I only DEEPLY relax, am only EVER patient, content, when I am momentarily believing Jesus is totally sovereign over everything and everyone. Otherwise, it’s UP TO DAVE. Before Jesus began growing me in self-awareness, I had no idea I have tension in my body most of…

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  • When circumstances rob your joy and peace,

    whaddayado? CONFESS your unbelief in the total sovereign reign of Jesus over every detail of your life. Irritated with your boss, co-workers, job, yourself, spouse, kids, health, wealth, politicians, news media, where you live, how you live? CONFESS that Jesus and His imputed worthiness are NOT ENOUGH for you. THANK Him for your frustrating circumstances…

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  • The pathway to happiness,

    is following Jesus’ agenda, not Dave’s agenda. What does it look like when I follow Dave’s agenda? Hurried, worried, intense, stressed, competitive, critical-judgmental, circumstance-dependent for my joy and peace. Following Jesus’ agenda? Clueless-I-know-what’s-best, confident Jesus knows, curious/expectant to see what He does NEXT, in me, others, circumstances, THANKing Him for everything — especially the harrrd,…

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  • If you frequently feel BEHIND,

    need more hours in the day, you’re just like DAVE, with an agenda for every situation — an agenda rooted in my flesh’s confidence-it-knows-what’s-best. My flesh puts enormous pressure on me not to embarrass myself, not be late, NOT GET BEHIND in my work. Only INdependents have agendas, feel pressure, feel alone, are intense, hurried,…

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