The one with a pitch-in & a picture of grace

We had a pitch-in the other day after Church. We have gone to these several times, and only brought food once or twice. It used to be we didn't know or would forget... but now we get emails reminding us... this time we were going to bring something... but then Soo forgot one ingredient and couldn't make it... so we were going to skip, but wound up going anyway.

There could be a level of guilt or embarassment or shame since we didn't bring anything...
even though every time we have one of these pitch-ins or potlucks or whatever you call it, the pastor tells us to come even if we haven't brought anything.

In fact one time we had a guest with us. We were going to go to the potluck, but she told us we couldn't because we didn't bring anything. We tried to explain it was ok, but to her it was not ok. It is not right to go and take when you haven't brought anything.

Afterwards, i thought- isn't that the perfect picture of grace? We don't bring anything to the table, but we still receive. We don't add anything, we only take.
This last week further cemented it. We had good intentions, but failed. We still received. Or what of the meals that are brought but aren't as nice as others? Or have you ever brought something and then noticed it was so much smaller than what everyone else brought.

GRACE. We need Grace.

The potluck/pitch-in offers it. You bring small, you bring something not as good, you bring nothing at all- you still receive.

Now, some get angry. They feel like they brought a lot or they always bring stuff and others don't. They think they slaved over what they made and someone brought something that took them 5 minutes to make - is that fair? It is fair in the land of the potluck.


Jesus invites us to feast at His supper. He wants to come and eat with us. He doesn't require us to bring anything. He wants to fellowship with us. At the end of time we will go to the marriage feast of the Lamb. A glorious potluck! But it will be Him providing all the food, all the drink. We don't need to bring a bottle of wine or bring a gift. Nothing is required. Nothing we bring will add. And His spread will never end. There is enough.


i discovered later our guest who said we couldn't go because we didn't bring anything would eat meals at her church for $2. They would be $10 meals, but the church offered for $2- and that was ok. Perhaps she feels like she is paying something, so that is ok, but taking for free, not so much.

Aren't we like this with God? We want to pay something. We want to contribute something. We want to earn our keep. There is no guilt because we feel we paid something.

But the reality is there is no guilt, there is no shame because Jesus has paid it all. He provides for everything. We can freely enjoy His grace and enjoy His company. There is nothing we can pay. It is silly like offering a couple dimes for a million dollar meal.

In life, i do want to bless others. i want to provide a way for others to experience grace. And i hope i will allow myself to experience grace from others as well. And revel in the grace Jesus continually pours out on me.

Mook on roots of sin

i sin.
a lot.

i annoy my wife. i upset friends. i'm a jerk.
Really, i'm an idiot. Most of the time, i don't even realize what i do. And often i think i am justified- ok, most times i think i am. Even after i know it is wrong, i feel a bit justified in my sin... that's how sinful i am.

My wife and i have conflict. And i find most of my good friends and i have conflict too.

Mark Driscol tweeted today: “Friendship is like money, easier made than kept.” - Samuel Butler

Maybe we don't expect anything from acquaintances, but we expect a lot from our friends.
i think that is a big reason for conflicts, expectations aren't met  and/or not clear and/or are unreal.

But i'm discovering recently more.


i let my insecurity fuel my feelings and my actions.

i allow my selfish desires become so important, that i justify my sin. i am so self-centered, i expect the other person to go out of their way to meet my needs and when they don't i get upset.

i guess i shouldn't be too surprised by this- isn't this what James 4:1-2 say
      What causes quarrels & fights among you? Is it not that your passions are at war within you. You desire and do not have, so you murduer. You covet and cannot attain so you fight & quarrel.

True.

Most of the time i am upset with someone, it is not because of them, but because of something else i am feeling or wanting.
i am so insecure and prideful, that if something they say/do or don't do strikes at that, i get upset.

i need to recognize my insecurities. And i need to recognize self-centeredness. i need to take focus off of me and what i want and look at the other person. i need to embrace humility and believe truth and believe the best in others. And give grace, when i feel like dealing out punishment.
i have no right to demand anyway.

Mook on Confessing sin (or how God is not like a puppy)

You may have heard it said there is nothing God uses more in your sanctification than marriage, and I agree.

It’s not that marriage brings out the worst in you – it just reveals it!

I see all my sin and self-centeredness and selfishness and pride…  and filth and yuck!

And last week? Well, I saw a lot of it!

Soo forgave me and she accepts me, but it was still hard.

I could still see the grief and pain on her face. I still felt distant. I still felt bad, I still felt awful.

Then I was talking to Halle… and I thought, maybe this is why we like babies and puppies so much.

See, a baby may cry for a few minutes in the middle of the night, or may not particulary like how you hold them, but… they don’t really reject you.

And a dog, well they may whine for some food while you’re eating or may dislike a spanking, but they always like you.

Even if you upset a baby or a puppy- they seem to have short memories.

They like cuddling with you. They give little smiles.

And they don’t talk back.

They don’t say “but…” or give you looks to let you know how disappointed they are.

And I began thinking, maybe this is why I like God so much.

I tell Him all my sin, and He forgives me. He embraces me. He doesn’t hold my sin over me. I don’t feel guilt or shame at all.

And while some of those things are true, I think I discovered I may need to take a new look at confessing sin…

1.     God hates sin. He abhors it.

It’s not a mistake, that He just looks over. It’s not something He can just say “What? Don’t worry about it”

I think that is how I usually picture the whole process in my head.

Like the sin doesn’t bother him that much.

2.     Sin grieves God

This goes with the above. Just because I can’t see the grief & disappoinment and sadness, doesn’t mean God isn’t grieved. Eph 4:30 exhorts us: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.

Our sin causes God pain.

3.     God really is gentle with us, gracious with us. He forgives us & accepts us.

And this is not something to take lightly. He knows all our faults and all our sins (Psal 139). And He loves us anyway. He accepts us. He holds no record of wrongs (I Cor 13) and all fear is cast out (I John 4). He doesn’t deal harshly with us.

In the book Prodigal God, Tim Keller makes some observations on the story of the prodigal son. When the Father comes toward the son, he doesn’t say “Ew, you stink. Go wash up and I will give you a big hug.” Nor does he give him a big hug and then say wash up now and take my coat it stinks now too. He embraces him. He wants him to clean up, but not because he is disgusted by him

4.     He really does want repentance

Throughout the Old Testament, God rebukes His people. They offer sacrifices- but they are vain. Jesus rebukes the religious leaders likewise. They worship, but the hearts are far away. Words, even words of confession, are in vain if our hearts and actions aren’t impacted.

We are called to repent
When the women caught adultery is not stoned, Jesus says "Neither do i condemn you" but He also adds "Go, and sin no more."
Jesus lived among the sinners, but He never condoned what they did and certainly did not enable them to sin

5.     God longs to show mercy

Even in all His anger in the Old Testament in Jeremiah and elsewhere, He is looking for opportunities to show mercy and grace and love

6.     All of this is possible because of Jesus.

Though God hates sin, He punishes our sin on Jesus. Though sin grieves Him, He looks at the righteousness of Jesus. And Jesus stands us an advocate for us.
Thru the death of Christ, we are free from all condemnation- all guilt, all shame. Jesus took all our shame, all our guilt upon Him on the Cross! We are accepted, loved.

Jesus is now living in us and sent His Spirit so we can repent and turn to God. Jesus provides the example for us how to live and the Holy spirit is making us more like Christ

And we are shown just how much God longs to show mercy, when the Father sent His Son, and the Son freely gave His life for us

So, while God is gracious, kind- and all I need to do is confess, I am already forgiven. I shouldn’t take my sin so lightly.

I am not just talking to a wall. I am not talking to the air. I am certainly not talking to a puppy. And while Ricky Bobby may pray to baby Jesus- He is not a little baby, He is King of Kings, God Almighty. He is meek & mild, ferocious & wild. He is a gentle thunder. He is the lion & the lamb – a lion-like lamb and a lamb-like lion (as John Piper would say).

We don’t just confess to get things off our chest, and not to feel better about ourselves.

We confess to renew our relationship with God and allow the holy spirit to work in our lives and make us more like Christ and to relish in the mercy & grace & kindness & goodness & love of our Lord.

Lord, be glorified!