Real People
One young woman very wisely asked, "How do you know that you are right?"
Well, quite frankly, it's just the opposite. We know that we don't hold the corner on truth. There is much more to be learned and understood and we are undergoing a growth process.
One rabbi once said, "He who seeks to ask the question is wiser than he who seeks to answer it." It is this philosophy that largely differentiates us from the traditional "church" experience. While some among us have a broader range of experiences and some have a greater level of education, each person has a unique ability to see the love of God in something that no one else can quite grasp. This is why when the smallest child has a question or an anecdote, he or she receives the same respect and attention as the oldest sage.
Yaakov (James), who wrote a tiny letter included in the New Testament said a very important thing. He said, "Whoever shall keep the whole Torah but shall stumble in one point, he is guilty of all..." (James 2:10). That doesn't dismiss our responsibility to live obediently to the commands of Scripture. It's nonsense to thereby conclude, "I only keep some of the Law so therefore I'm not guilty of any of it." This very precious emphatic levels the playing field for all of us. The witch, the drug dealer, the pedophile, and me are all guilty as sinners before God. That means we have no business looking down our noses at people who are struggling with issues in their lives. If we aren't struggling with our own, then we have no relationship with God (Hebrews 12:8). We don't have time to go around telling others how they are supposed to live. We have too much that God is dealing with in our own lives.
We are here to encourage one another and learn together. By His grace, through His Word, and empowered by His Holy Spirit, we are together being molded more and more into His image.
Well, quite frankly, it's just the opposite. We know that we don't hold the corner on truth. There is much more to be learned and understood and we are undergoing a growth process.
One rabbi once said, "He who seeks to ask the question is wiser than he who seeks to answer it." It is this philosophy that largely differentiates us from the traditional "church" experience. While some among us have a broader range of experiences and some have a greater level of education, each person has a unique ability to see the love of God in something that no one else can quite grasp. This is why when the smallest child has a question or an anecdote, he or she receives the same respect and attention as the oldest sage.
Yaakov (James), who wrote a tiny letter included in the New Testament said a very important thing. He said, "Whoever shall keep the whole Torah but shall stumble in one point, he is guilty of all..." (James 2:10). That doesn't dismiss our responsibility to live obediently to the commands of Scripture. It's nonsense to thereby conclude, "I only keep some of the Law so therefore I'm not guilty of any of it." This very precious emphatic levels the playing field for all of us. The witch, the drug dealer, the pedophile, and me are all guilty as sinners before God. That means we have no business looking down our noses at people who are struggling with issues in their lives. If we aren't struggling with our own, then we have no relationship with God (Hebrews 12:8). We don't have time to go around telling others how they are supposed to live. We have too much that God is dealing with in our own lives.
We are here to encourage one another and learn together. By His grace, through His Word, and empowered by His Holy Spirit, we are together being molded more and more into His image.