Did I get your attention with that title? I really should have written about this book before the Daniel study. I received this book from my aunt, and honestly...it transformed my way of thinking (in a healthy way). It is a fiction book that shares a lot of dialogue between a man named John and a man named Jake. John's insight is amazing, and his sweet approach is something to be learned. A quick read that I couldn't put down! Click on book to see more about it.
Read below:
Some conversations between Jake and John (click to meet Jake)
"This is not difficult, Jake. In this kingdom you really do get what you seek. That is the point of the whole thing. If you are looking for a relationship with God you will find it."
"Then why don't I have it? I thought that's what I had been seeking all along."
"No doubt, it might have been at first. But this works the other way around as well. If you look at what you've ended up with, then you'll know what you've really been seeking!"
*******************
..."He told me that after all he's done for me, I owe him this."
"It seems to me that if you owe him then he never really did anything for you."
His words hung in the air while I tried to figure out what he meant. "You mean he didn't do those things for me? Who then? For himself?"
"Who else"
*******************
"But where do I find that kind of faith"
"You won't find it. It's something He creates in you, even in the very circumstances you despise. Just keep coming to Him and watch what He will do."
*******************
"So there's no trust where there's no relationship?"
"No, there's not."
Some great quotes:
"Everything He wants to do in you will get done as you learn to live in His love."
"...just keep hanging in there with Jesus. He'll sort all of this out in ways you'd never believe..."
"Don't run from your pain, or try to hide it from Him. It won't impress Him and it won't help you."
"He's inviting you to live with Him in the joy of the moment, responding to what He puts right before you."
"Institutionalism breads task-based friendships. As long as you're on the same task together, you can be friends. When you're not, people tend to treat you like damaged goods."
"As long as you need other people to understand you and to approve of what you're doing, you are owned by anyone willing to lie about you."
"Because they draw their affirmation from others they'll never stop to question it, even when the hurtful consequences of their actions become obvious."
"As long as we see church life as a meeting we'll miss its reality and its depth. If the truth were told, the Scriptures tell us very little about how the early church met. It tells us volumes about how they shared His life together. They didn't see the church as a meeting or an institution, but as a family living under Father."
"The more organization you bring to church life, the less life it will contain."
"The church is God's people learning to share His life together."
"He'll (God) often use other people to encourage or equip you in that process (yielding to the Spirit and depending on His power), but the people He uses won't let you grow dependent on them."
"We often mistake the middle of a chapter for the end of the story."
"It's not about teaching, Jake. It's about living. Learn to live this life and you'll find no end of folks to share it with."
"Does trusting God to do what you think is best really sound like trusting God to you?"
"Living in the freedom of God's provision is critical to what God has for you. Learn to live by what God puts before you, not by your plans and schemes."
"If you tell someone the truth before they're ready to hear it, you can push them further away no matter how well intentioned you might be."
"Where Jesus is given first place, the church simply emerges in wonderful ways."
In NO way is this book saying you should avoid a local body, or local home group etc., it is just challenging believers of our motives, and why we do what we do. It has impacted the way I think and feel about the body of Christ. We must never just rely on going to church to fulfill our obligation as a Christian. We should never really feel obligated at all, but step into a real relationship with our Father that spills over into every relationship He places before us.
This is a MUST read...you won't be disappointed!!!
Some conversations between Jake and John (click to meet Jake)
"This is not difficult, Jake. In this kingdom you really do get what you seek. That is the point of the whole thing. If you are looking for a relationship with God you will find it."
"Then why don't I have it? I thought that's what I had been seeking all along."
"No doubt, it might have been at first. But this works the other way around as well. If you look at what you've ended up with, then you'll know what you've really been seeking!"
*******************
..."He told me that after all he's done for me, I owe him this."
"It seems to me that if you owe him then he never really did anything for you."
His words hung in the air while I tried to figure out what he meant. "You mean he didn't do those things for me? Who then? For himself?"
"Who else"
*******************
"But where do I find that kind of faith"
"You won't find it. It's something He creates in you, even in the very circumstances you despise. Just keep coming to Him and watch what He will do."
*******************
"So there's no trust where there's no relationship?"
"No, there's not."
Some great quotes:
"Everything He wants to do in you will get done as you learn to live in His love."
"...just keep hanging in there with Jesus. He'll sort all of this out in ways you'd never believe..."
"Don't run from your pain, or try to hide it from Him. It won't impress Him and it won't help you."
"He's inviting you to live with Him in the joy of the moment, responding to what He puts right before you."
"Institutionalism breads task-based friendships. As long as you're on the same task together, you can be friends. When you're not, people tend to treat you like damaged goods."
"As long as you need other people to understand you and to approve of what you're doing, you are owned by anyone willing to lie about you."
"Because they draw their affirmation from others they'll never stop to question it, even when the hurtful consequences of their actions become obvious."
"As long as we see church life as a meeting we'll miss its reality and its depth. If the truth were told, the Scriptures tell us very little about how the early church met. It tells us volumes about how they shared His life together. They didn't see the church as a meeting or an institution, but as a family living under Father."
"The more organization you bring to church life, the less life it will contain."
"The church is God's people learning to share His life together."
"He'll (God) often use other people to encourage or equip you in that process (yielding to the Spirit and depending on His power), but the people He uses won't let you grow dependent on them."
"We often mistake the middle of a chapter for the end of the story."
"It's not about teaching, Jake. It's about living. Learn to live this life and you'll find no end of folks to share it with."
"Does trusting God to do what you think is best really sound like trusting God to you?"
"Living in the freedom of God's provision is critical to what God has for you. Learn to live by what God puts before you, not by your plans and schemes."
"If you tell someone the truth before they're ready to hear it, you can push them further away no matter how well intentioned you might be."
"Where Jesus is given first place, the church simply emerges in wonderful ways."
In NO way is this book saying you should avoid a local body, or local home group etc., it is just challenging believers of our motives, and why we do what we do. It has impacted the way I think and feel about the body of Christ. We must never just rely on going to church to fulfill our obligation as a Christian. We should never really feel obligated at all, but step into a real relationship with our Father that spills over into every relationship He places before us.
This is a MUST read...you won't be disappointed!!!
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