Happy Sunday, friends! This past week we began a new Bible study with two other couples. We have been in the small group Bible study with these friends since 2017.
We have studied books of the Bible together, and we’ve done book studies together. This time we are reading the book, The Cure by Bruce McNicol, Bill Thrall, and John Lynch.
Here’s what the book is about:
We thought we were cured.
We thought so, but most of us unwittingly carried an old, dead perspective into our new life. We couldn’t measure up to a standard we created, so we convinced ourselves it was God’s.
We read his words through our grid of shame and felt ourselves fall farther and farther behind. We took it out on each other; judging, comparing, faking, splintering.
Some of us retreated from the whole charade, becoming cynical, mistrusting, jaded from hope. Our marriages, churches, families, friendships, our marketplaces, our culture . . . they all need the cure.
But God’s cures rarely come in the form we expect.
What if, indeed. God is not who we think he is…and neither are we?
What I have read so far is good, and it certainly resonates with me. I spent half my adult life wanting people in the church to think I had it all together.
I was the pastor’s wife, for heaven’s sake. I was supposed to have it all together—perfect husband, perfect wife, perfect kids, immaculate home, always at church, etc.
I assumed everyone else had it all together, and I wanted them to think I did too.
It’s exhausting, and it’s not what God wants. He wants authenticity; he sees us as we are and still loves us.
Here’s a video we watched to begin our study, and I thought you might enjoy it. (He talks about masks, which has nothing to do with Covid-19. The video was recorded in 2017.)
Welcome to grace, I’m so glad you’re here!
Of course, this doesn’t mean we flaunt sin or keep sinning, but we admit we are sinners, and God’s grace is big enough to forgive us, and He still delights in us.
Have a blessed Sunday!
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Cyndi, thank you for your transparency.
I needed this today:)–Thankful heart/
Blessings
Powerful!!!!
A beautiful video! Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed day 🙂
Thanks for sharing, what an awesome message. I found the book at my library and downloaded it as well
The video was amazing!!! Is this a book study with videos and a work book? Where to order?
Thank you for sharing this. I’m excited to look at the book. I always appreciate your inspirational posts.
Loved this video! We use a ‘mask’ talk on our teen retreats which is similar to this but I think I’m going to be showing this video from now on. Thanks for sharing
Aww Kathy, I feel your pain. I am so sorry you are struggling. Asking the father to give you peace as you discern. I too am very torn about the vaccine. Praying for you today!
So enjoyed your post today. I ordered the book. Loved the video. Thanks so much.
This is inspirational ,very uplifting !
This makes me feel calm to read words like this .
Do you meet in person with these other couples or zoom? I just don’t feel brave enough to do this. I quit attending my in person bible study for now. So hard. Do you feel safer now that you’ve already had covid? I’m so afraid to catch it. The information they give out is always changing. They say if you get it then you are immuned up to 3 months right? Now it’s out there if you get vaccine you are immuned for 3 yrs. They can’t know this. Makes me crazy. I’m afraid to get the vaccine and I’m afraid not to. Trying to give it to the Lord and asking for his peace and discernment. My body sensitive to medications etc so afraid of vaccine reaction. My daughters friend had terrible reaction and still in hospital. She keeps coding and heart stuff. :(. She’s healthy 30 yr old. They don’t tell these stories on the news so this is why I don’t know if I should just roll up my sleeve because government says to. Sorry for venting but I’m really stressed about it all. I don’t know what to do. Plus, we could get first dose and not enough to get 2 nd in the time frame. They know this and news says you’d be ok. They don’t know this. It’s suppose to be given as tested. Anyway, wish I could go on with life more.
Thank you for this post and the video. Just what I needed today!
You’re message was very uplifting. Thank you
Thank you for sharing. I’m sharing this with my teen who has been in a Christian school since k5. It can be hard to teach them to get past the masks we unintentionally saddle them with in our Christian culture.
This seems to be the truth of the Gospel message, yet restated. Am I missing something?
Thank you for sharing this video, Cyndi. It certainly resonated with me. I’m a Christian, but I always felt like I wasn’t worthy of God’s love. I love God and want to please him, but then I would sin and feel awful. I’m 70, and in the past year, I’ve finally come to realize that God loves me, in spite of my sin, and I can totally trust him. I never really experienced joy until now. I hope this will help somebody else.
Reminds me of the song “truth be told” by Matthew West. If you haven’t heard it, check it out!
Yes I love that song!