Embracing the Transformative Power of God's Kingdom

"Grace is God acting in our lives to enable us to do what we can't do on our own of course it's unmar and favor but what form does it take the form it takes is present, and the sign of that as always the outcome of his presence leads us far beyond anything we could accomplish on our own and that isn't just in the domain of Miracles but also in the domain of character." [00:02:17]

"When we look at The Sermon on the Mount and many people make the mistake of looking at that as a set of rules to keep it's not it's the expression of life in the kingdom of God and that's beyond the righteousness Of The Scribe and the Pharisee because it's a matter of the heart now of course out of that comes a purity of life that makes old look keep old rule keeping look like nothing you could you could imagine." [00:02:42]

"You don't try to keep them you try to become the kind of person who will keep them out of whom they pour naturally and that's what Jesus brings into the lives of people people and he set people free by introducing them into the presence of the kingdom of God of course he was the door and he's the way but the kingdom you don't want Jesus without the kingdom and you certainly don't want the kingdom without Jesus they come together." [00:03:17]

"Jesus puts a face on the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God makes sure that you don't have a victim Jesus you have a triumphant Jesus who takes the cross in stride moves beyond that to Resurrection and then says to the world why don't you join me there in Resurrection Life and he wouldn't have invited us into something impossible no no it isn't it's the other side that's impossible." [00:03:59]

"Life without Jesus is actually impossible because we're made to live under the kingdom of God from Genesis 1 to the end of the book it's all about reigning in Christ Jesus once that idea of the Kingdom emerges in the Bible and you move on to its development and then Jesus stands there as the Fulfillment of it then you begin to see hope but until that there is no hope." [00:05:07]

"The presence of Christ in our life is what transforms us gradually through a progression of friendship and fellowship as his disciples and that transformation of the Mind the feelings the body the soul our social relationships see that's what he packs into the great commandment love God with all your heart soul mind and strength and your neighbors as yourself." [00:06:28]

"You really won't love your neighbor properly as you love yourself if you don't love God with all your heart soul mind and Str that's right because if we don't get God in first place self will tend to be there and then you got the inappropriate idolatry and worship and if you inappropriately think of yourself you'll never appropriately think of others." [00:07:11]

"Actually it in the process of learning this I I found a very different way of living and one of the point points that's most important here James is what's going to happen to me if I turn the other cheek and the answer is God has got my back yeah that's right right he's a rear guard so I don't have to take care of me God takes care of me." [00:08:00]

"That lays the foundation for the kinds of Transformations that makes it just sensible to do the things that Jesus said and of course that's what we're supposed to do and that's what's very lacking in our churches is a sincere effort to teach people how to do the things that he said you know you you make it real clear that it is Grace and not works but true Grace works." [00:08:25]

"True Grace works in us and keeps working starting now throughout all eternity and it is transforming Grace and I can't help but believe that's what you want I mean you're not just tuning in because you want to feel better listen and preach and go away say you like a fine song and like someone who plays well on an instrument and you go away and you talk about the speaker but you never do what you hear." [00:08:46]

"It should make us feel like we need to understand why we failed and ask God for help in changing that instead of just trying again to do the thing that we failed at I once had a man who worked at jet propulsion lab in a seminar out in Southern California and and I had been teaching them it isn't when you first when you fail try and try again but when you fail find out why why you failed fix it and then try again." [00:09:29]

"That's why training not trying is the key it's hard to get to volunteers for that try try program on that on that one it it certainly is but you know we often believe that and we get people trying so hard and they're so frustrated oh they are indeed frustrated in their failure and misery but they look like all the rest of the bunch that's frustrated and miserable." [00:10:14]