dumb sheep dave

Promoting Jesus Dependency

  • Engineering easy circumstances,

    and avoiding the hard ones, is my passion when I’m ShepherdDave, wise in my own eyes, leaning on my own understanding, confident I know what’s best for me and those I love.   But easy never grows me more Jesus-dependent, more DumbSheepDave.  Only the hard.   So why do I obsess over engineering easy, and not embrace…

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  • Ministry idolatry exposed.

    My flesh loves to get LIFE from ministry success, and so Jesus frequently thwarts my plans/efforts so the pain of the failure snaps me back to reality, where freshly convicted of my sin, I also realize that He is lovingly retraining me in a better way to live: dependent on Him, not needing any performance…

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  • Inviting Jesus into my idolatry areas,

    has been a huge blessing, a wunnerful answer to your prayers.  ShepherdDave is so used to confidently/pridefully taking charge of ministry, investments, health management, hobbies, bargains, purchasing decisions, though he is easily irritated with others, himself, circumstances, when things don’t go his way.   But DumbSheepDave doesn’t know what to do with any of it, is…

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  • I am powerless over my idols/addictions.

    I cannot live w/o them.  I become tense and frustrated until I can return to them to get some relief from my pain — my suppressed feelings of worthlessness.  How do I know they’re suppressed?  Because I want to forget/deny/erase my feelings of worthlessness, by doing something to feel good about myself in one or…

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  • Looking for perfection

    in the automotive experience: both in the purchasing and in the owning.  Finding the best used car in my price range — at a bargain price, that can deliver the closest thing to perfection in the driving experience: seating, handling, acceleration, ride, sound isolation, manual transmission, with minimal depreciation on the investment and minimal maintenance/repair…

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  • Compassion for those who irritate and disgust me?

    Where do I get that?   Why would I even want it?  Because Jesus says to love my enemies — those most different from myself, doing things I would never ever do, because I’m better than they. So how do I get compassion for them, forgive them, extend grace to them, enjoy them?   I find it…

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  • Why do I want to be different?

    Typically for both good and bad reasons.  Good reason: for the glory of Jesus, especially with pre-believers.   Bad reason: so I can feel better about myself, have some righteousness/performance of my own. –ShepherdDave, unsatisfied with himself for the wrong reason, needing prayer for fresh conviction of sin, so he’ll be momentarily transformed into DumbSheepDave, who…

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  • Why has the Easter Bunny replaced Jesus?

    We believers like to think it’s the world’s fault, not our own fault.  If Jesus were making a wow difference in the lives of us believers, would the Bunny be replacing Jesus in such a widespread way?  Would there be respect for a Jesus-centered holiday, if there was amazing humility and amazing love in believers,…

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  • Are we really following Jesus?

    Jesus was a friend of sinners and tax collectors, the nonreligious of His day.  If we really are followers of Jesus, why don’t we hang out with and enjoy the nonreligious, instead of spending so much time with fellow believers? –WeakDave, trying to promote authentic, vulnerable friendships with pre-believers — more nonChristian fellowship and less…

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  • Why am I unfruitful with pre-believers?

    I have many pre-believing friends, that I hang out with, but no one’s asking me yet, about how they can know Jesus like I do.  None of them appear to be seekers, most are turned-off, some antagonistic, some atheist, but they all know what Jesus does for me, they enjoy me, and they feel my…

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