The Gathering

How do I move from guilt to forgiveness? Words we have heard said to us, or have said to ourselves, can shape our reality. God in Christ invites us into a new life. Christ forgives us and frees us to that we don't have to live under the power of guilt. Part of what it means to walk in new life is to change our thoughts. Guilt and shame keep us trapped in our past and stunt what we are able to do going forward. We do not need to be defined by our sin. By the power of Christ's death and resurrection, we do not need to hold onto guilt and shame. Forgiveness is a gift God offers to us in Christ. All we need to do is receive it and follow Jesus.

What does a shift from pride to humility look like? Pride and Humility are right at the center of our conversion in Christ. Pride is a distorted love of self. The move from pride to humility can change everything about what God is able to do in your life. Humility must begin with a recognition of the greatness that exists in others, but especially God. Humility is having an accurate picture of yourself. Humility is thinking of yourself less. Pride can drive us to perfectionism. Perfectionism keeps us from having an accurate picture of ourselves. Humility is holding power loosely in service to others. Humility lets us see that our lives are meant to be deployed for the sake of others.

How are we called to act courageously?
"Fear is always associated with loss. New life in Christ requires that we set apart something old and put on something new. We need to choose to live not out of fear, but out of courage. Fear always makes us question ourselves. Fear leads us to determine the (negative) outcome before we ever get started. Courage is always needed in our defining moments.
God brought you where you are to use you for a greater purpose. God has given us the means, the motive, and the opportunity to a make a difference and is calling us to act out of courage, not fear."

What tendencies do we need to overcome to persevere in faith? Change away from giving up and towards perseverance. Perseverance is a critical element of faith. Perseverance is not giving up. Three ways of giving up are: quitting or walking way from God, self-destruction, and complacency or resigning to the current reality of our life. God promises that he will see us through the hardships in life, not that we won't have any hardships. Perseverance is continuing to believe that God is doing something in our life, even though we don't see any evidence that it is currently coming to fruition.

Jesus (and The Gathering) welcomes us, then challenges us.

God sees you as you are but wants to heal/forgive you. Jesus' biggest controversy was His claim to forgive sins.