dumb sheep dave

Promoting Jesus Dependency

  • Impossible to be intense,

    unless I’m confident I know what’s best, for me/others.  Also impossible to be frustrated, fearful, discouraged, unless I’m confident I know what’s best for me/others.  Ditto for analyzing/critiquing. A dumb-sheep-believer is never intense.  Only shepherd-believers have this problem.  Dumb-sheep believers trust their Shepherd to know what’s best, so they have amazing peace and amazing joy. …

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  • How exactly do I make this happen?

    “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”   I don’t want to be independent/self-confident/willful/agendafied/proud/self-reliant, but how do I not be that way?  How can I renew my mind, so I’m not that way? By reading Scripture?  Maybe.  By praying?  Maybe.  By hearing the Gospel proclaimed over and…

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  • We are not called to be faithful,

    but commanded to be perfect.  Cheap grace challenges us, calls us to be faithful.  Grace commands us to be perfect, and has the perfect solution for our failure.  The Cross.  The Gospel is not merely about salvation, but also about sanctification – how we live as followers of Jesus. Challenges to be faithful, appeal to…

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  • The way we dumb down law/sin,

    is by comparing ourselves to others, instead of to Jesus, the Standard, the Perfect One.  “Be perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect,” commanded Jesus.  Wait, that’s impossible!  Bingo.  Impossible to enter the Christian life, and impossible to live the Christian life.  I need the convicting work of Jesus’ Spirit 24/7, not just for…

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  • Perhaps the worst aspect of independency,

    of being ShepherdDave, is the judging I do, of everyone and everything, every minute of every day, until the Shepherd’s Spirit graciously convicts me, giving me awareness of the oppressive weight of being judge/critic of all, thumbs up/down, especially harshly judging myself, leaving me joyless and peaceless, though confident I know best.  Ahhh.  Freshly convicted,…

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  • Why does Jesus thwart my plans?

    Because my biggest need is not reaching my goals, but more dependency on Him.  The Spirit sometimes uses a thwarting to open my eyes, freshly convict me of my sin of independence/agenda.  Ahhh. Giving me what I want, just strengthens my independence/willfulness/confidence/agenda/pride/competitiveness, which causes me to judge others, love poorly, want my way at the…

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  • I am frequently unaware of being

    weighed down by an unsolved problem, issue, challenge, decision, until after it’s solved/fixed, and I feel suddenly lighter.  A ShepherdDave experience.  DumbSheepDave never feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, because he has his Shepherd’s yoke, light as a feather.  No problems, no ownership.  Shepherd Jesus’ problem, job.  Ahhh. Being a clueless, childlike,…

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  • Are we attempting the impossible today,

    in missions, in churchplanting, in local-church ministry?  Or are we just like any other human organization, planning and managing by objective, operating by human power, doing what human power can do — the possible? We don’t need Jesus for the possible.  Don’t need His power, don’t need to depend on Him.  Leaning on our own…

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  • What is worldliness?

    Intensity about my performance, reputation, somebodiness.  Only shepherd-believers experience this, are passionate about failure-avoidance, excellence at all costs.  Dumb-sheep-believers are completely liberated about losing all they have, becoming nobodies, losers, being pitied by all. Only shepherd-believers are competitive, passionate about their favorite sports teams, need to feel good about themselves based on performance, are critical/judgmental…

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  • Can a dumb-sheep-believer plan?

    Of course, but much differently than a shepherd-believer.  How so?  Well, a shepherd-believer is confident they know what’s best for self and others, so they analyze, strategize, and then ask Jesus to bless their strategy, and then work intensely, hurriedly, stressfully, to make it happen.  Agendafied.  Don’t get in my way.  Favorite prayer is, “Jesus,…

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