dumb sheep dave

Promoting Jesus Dependency

  • Easier life = happier life?

    My flesh thinks so. And it’s persuasive. Though thoroughly deceived. I only believe the lie when I feel ALONE and in CHARGE of my life. When I don’t believe Jesus is totally in charge of every detail of my life. When I’m envious of the easier lives around me. How many times in my 76…

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  • To meet me, you would think

    I’m a strong, confident, competent, cool, caring, together man. You would be fooled. It’s just so knee-jerk natural for me to unconsciously come across that way. My flesh so vibrates to strong. Strong clothes. Strong car. Strong acceleration. Freshly washed. Enviable. No weakness anywhere. Oh yes, shoes shined. Jesus and His imputed worthiness are simply…

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  • You will not be consistently happy,

    content, at peace with yourself, your God, and the world around you, until Jesus grows you clueless-you-know-what’s-best. Dependent on Him, not on your mind, other minds, talking heads on TV or online. Leaning on your own understanding, being wise in your own eyes, is a formula for unhappiness. Addiction. Circumstance-dependent for happiness. And I predict…

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  • Impossible to really KNOW Jesus,

    unless you really KNOW yourself. Self-awareness is crucial to really knowing Jesus. He who has a present sense of having been forgiven only a little, presently KNOWS Jesus only a little, presently KNOWS himself only a little, presently loves Jesus only a little, presently loves himself conditionally, presently loves others conditionally, and presently loves Jesus’…

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  • Wannabe freshly wowed by Jesus at Christmas?

    I don’t see how any believer can be freshly wowed at Christmas, unless he’s freshly aware of what’s inside him. So he’s freshly desperate for the Message. This is maybe the best sermon I’ve ever heard. Not perfect — in the ears of this perfectionist, but pert near. http://www.sevenrivers.org/171119.html Download audio for your phone/computer, or…

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  • Forgive me, Jesus, for thinking

    my life is UP TO ME — that You are not in charge. I’m so heavily influenced by my flesh, and the flesh of others in this world, who are convinced human lives are up to humans. But when I read Your Scripture afresh I get sane afresh, because Your Scripture clearly teaches that You…

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  • If you have an easy life,

    you don’t really need to be reminded over and over about the sovereign reign of Jesus over every life and every thing.  But.  If your life is harrrd?  You need much-stronger medicine than a healthy devotional life, especially if you are unusually self-aware — in touch with your feelings.  If you don’t focus on Scripture…

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  • Financial Update on GospelFriendships.

    As of our Annual Board Meeting Nov17, we’re $13,000 short of covering expenses, and I’m guessing we could end up having a year-end deficit of $5-10,000, but I’m always unsure because of year-end giving.  Over the past dozen years I’ve lost some monthly supporters.  I’m a coward when it comes to individually asking believers to…

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  • If you don’t want your kids to be prodigals,

    ask Jesus to grow you as the chief confessor in the home, not the chief accuser, or the chief expert on all things Christian.  If you unwittingly give them the impression that you’ve got this Christian life down pat, you run the risk of them concluding they don’t have the spiritual genes you do, and…

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  • Everything seems sovereign over my

    life except You, Jesus.  News, politics, my health, stock market, bond market, talking heads predicting the future.  When my eyes are fixed on these other sovereignties, I feel ALONE, like my life is UP TO ME to know how to navigate through everything.  And because You’ve grown me so-much-more self-aware these days, I’m easily overwhelmed,…

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