Showing posts with label Freedom. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

The Freedom Center --> This is just a church... isn't it? Sigh....

I'm the guy who keeps desperately trying to NOT be a "pastor" has this idea. While specifics have changes, this core idea has been growing since at least 2003.... "It's not a church, it's...."

I looked at this summary below of my ideas (but better organized by AI) and thought to myself,

"This is a church, isn't it?
There is no concert followed by a public speaker (although I could see how that could happen too)...
This is just a different expression of, and reimagining of, a church in a new format. A "Fresh Expression". I would want to make sure the format and resources were always free, like the BibleProject has modeled.
But at the heart, this is just a church isn't it?
After all that running... Am I just "pastor" hiding behind other titles? Ha ha... Sigh...."

Well... I'll just sit with that feeling for now. I'm not sure what to do with it. I don't have to "make" anything happen. The idea has been percolating since at least 2003, it can keep percolating until the path becomes clear. But... I'm really afraid this is a church. Ha ha ha...

AI Response (DeepSeek) - 2:

The Freedom Center is a fantastic name—it evokes liberation, growth, and exploration, which aligns perfectly with your vision. Let’s refine and expand the concept with this name in mind, ensuring it captures the essence of what you’re trying to build.

Mission Statement for The Freedom Center

"The Freedom Center is a community dedicated to fostering spiritual, intellectual, and emotional growth. We provide a safe space for individuals to explore ancient wisdom, develop critical thinking skills, and engage in meaningful dialogue—free from dogma, judgment, or pressure. Through interdisciplinary learning, therapeutic support, and communal reflection, we empower people to wrestle with big questions, grow in self-awareness, and apply timeless insights to modern life."

Core Values of The Freedom Center

Freedom: Liberation from rigid doctrines, creeds, and traditions; freedom to question, explore, and grow.
Curiosity: A commitment to asking questions, seeking understanding, and embracing uncertainty.
Community: A safe, inclusive space where people can share, learn, and grow together.
Wisdom: Engaging with ancient texts and ideas as sources of meditative wisdom, not prescriptive rules.
Integration: Blending spiritual, intellectual, and emotional growth into a holistic approach to life.

Programs and Offerings

Freedom Circles (Small Groups):
- Bible Exploration: Contextual, ANE/2nd Temple-focused readings of Scripture as wisdom literature.
- Wisdom Dialogues: Discussions on philosophical, theological, and psychological topics.
- Therapeutic Groups: Facilitated sessions focused on emotional and spiritual growth.
Freedom Labs (Workshops and Courses):
- Critical Thinking 101: Teaching skills for analyzing ideas, avoiding fallacies, and engaging in constructive dialogue.
- Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life: Applying biblical and philosophical insights to contemporary challenges.
- Emotional Intelligence: Workshops on self-awareness, empathy, and healthy communication.
Freedom Forums (Events and Guest Speakers):
- Scholar Series: Inviting biblical scholars, theologians, and philosophers to share their insights.
- Community Conversations: Open forums on topics like justice, forgiveness, love, and meaning.
- Creative Expression: Art, music, and writing workshops to explore spirituality and self-expression.
Freedom Therapy (Therapeutic Support):
- Lay Counseling: Trained facilitators offering non-clinical support for emotional and spiritual growth.
- Therapist Partnerships: Collaborating with licensed professionals for clinical needs.
- Support Groups: Focused on specific issues like grief, addiction, or relationships.
Freedom Online (Digital Resources):
- Resource Library: Articles, videos, and courses on biblical studies, critical thinking, and emotional growth.
- Virtual Freedom Circles: Online small groups for remote participants.
- Podcast/YouTube Channel: Sharing teachings, interviews, and discussions.

Structure and Operations

Local Chapters:
- Meeting Spaces: Borrowed from community centers, churches, or homes.
- Facilitators: Trained volunteers who guide discussions and ensure a safe environment.
- Autonomy: Local groups operate independently but align with the core principles of The Freedom Center.
Governance:
- Advisory Board: Composed of scholars, therapists, and community leaders to provide guidance.
- Core Team: A small group overseeing operations, resources, and partnerships.
Funding Model:
- Donations: Voluntary contributions from participants (like AA/Al-Anon).
- Workshop Fees: Charging modest fees for courses or events to sustain operations.
- Grants: Seeking funding from foundations that support education, mental health, or spiritual growth.

Branding and Identity

Logo and Visuals:
- A logo that combines elements of openness (e.g., an open door, a tree, or a circle) with symbols of growth and exploration.
- A color palette that feels warm, inviting, and modern (e.g., earthy tones with accents of blue or gold).
Tone and Voice:
- Conversational: Approachable and inclusive, avoiding overly academic or religious jargon.
- Empowering: Encouraging curiosity, growth, and self-discovery.
- Hopeful: Emphasizing freedom, transformation, and community.

First Steps to Launch

Pilot Program:
- Start with a small group (in-person or online) to test the format and gather feedback.
- Focus on one or two core offerings (e.g., a Bible Exploration group and a Critical Thinking workshop).
Build a Team:
- Recruit facilitators, therapists, and scholars who share your vision.
- Train them in the principles and practices of The Freedom Center.
Create Resources:
- Develop materials for Bible study, critical thinking, and emotional growth.
- Record introductory videos or podcasts to explain the vision and invite participation.
Promote the Initiative:
- Use social media, local networks, and partnerships to spread the word.
- Host a launch event or open house to introduce The Freedom Center to the community.

Long-Term Vision

The Freedom Center could grow into a network of local and online communities, offering a unique blend of spiritual, intellectual, and emotional support. Over time, it could become a movement that helps people engage with ancient wisdom, develop critical thinking skills, and grow in emotional intelligence—all within a supportive, non-dogmatic community.

By staying true to your core values and fostering a culture of curiosity and compassion, The Freedom Center could become a transformative force in the lives of countless individuals.

AI Response (DeepSeek) - 1:

Your vision is both ambitious and deeply meaningful, blending spiritual exploration, intellectual growth, and emotional support into a cohesive community experience. To organize this into something coherent, let’s break it down into core components, principles, and actionable steps, drawing inspiration from the structure of groups like Al-Anon or AA while tailoring it to your unique goals.

Core Principles and Practices

Shared Practices and Principles (like AA/Al-Anon):
- Non-dogmatic Approach: Avoid rigid doctrines, creeds, or "we believe" statements. Focus on exploration, questioning, and personal growth.
- Community-Centered: Emphasize shared learning and mutual support rather than hierarchical leadership.
- Anonymity and Safety: Create a safe space where people can share openly without fear of judgment or proselytization.
- Voluntary Participation: No pressure to conform or commit; people can engage as much or as little as they feel comfortable.
Biblical Engagement:
- Contextual Reading: Teach participants to read the Bible through the lens of its Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) and Second Temple worldview.
- Wisdom Meditation: Approach the text as meditative wisdom literature rather than prescriptive law.
- Theological Wrestling: Encourage deep, honest engagement with the text and its implications for modern life.
Critical Thinking and Emotional Growth:
- Critical Thinking Skills: Teach participants how to analyze ideas, ask questions, and engage in constructive dialogue.
- Emotional Intelligence: Foster curiosity, empathy, and the ability to engage without defensiveness.
- Therapeutic Support: Offer group sessions that blend spiritual and emotional growth, with referrals to licensed therapists when needed.
Holistic Integration:
- Interdisciplinary Approach: Combine insights from academic biblical studies, philosophy, theology, and psychology.
- Practical Application: Help participants apply ancient wisdom to contemporary challenges in a thoughtful, nuanced way.

Structure and Format

Local Groups:
- Meeting Spaces: Borrow space from community centers, churches, libraries, or even homes (like AA/Al-Anon).
- Regular Gatherings: Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with a flexible structure (e.g., discussion, meditation, teaching, or group therapy).
- Facilitators: Trained lay leaders who guide discussions and ensure a safe, respectful environment.
Program Offerings:
- Bible Study Groups: Focused on contextual reading and wisdom meditation.
- Critical Thinking Workshops: Teach skills for analyzing ideas and engaging in dialogue.
- Therapeutic Groups: Facilitated discussions on emotional and spiritual growth, with referrals to licensed therapists as needed.
- Guest Speakers: Invite scholars, therapists, or theologians to share insights on specific topics.
Online Presence:
- Resource Hub: Offer articles, videos, and courses on biblical studies, critical thinking, and emotional growth.
- Virtual Meetings: Allow people to participate remotely, fostering a broader community.
Partnerships:
- Therapists: Collaborate with licensed professionals to provide clinical support when needed.
- Academic Institutions: Partner with seminaries or universities to offer accredited courses or certifications.
- Existing Organizations: Work with groups like Fuller Theological Seminary or local churches to expand reach and resources.

Name and Identity

Your initiative needs a name that reflects its purpose and values. Consider something that evokes exploration, community, and growth. Examples:

The Wrestling Ground: Emphasizes the idea of wrestling with God and ideas.
Wisdom Commons: Highlights the communal pursuit of wisdom.
Open Table: Suggests inclusivity and shared exploration.
The Thinking Faith Collective: Combines intellectual and spiritual growth.

Governance and Funding

Governance:
- Local Autonomy: Like AA/Al-Anon, allow local groups to operate independently while adhering to core principles.
- Advisory Board: Form a board of scholars, therapists, and community leaders to provide guidance and oversight.
Funding:
- Donations: Rely on voluntary contributions from participants (like AA/Al-Anon).
- Grants: Seek funding from foundations that support education, mental health, or spiritual growth.
- Workshops/Courses: Offer paid courses or certifications to sustain the initiative.

First Steps

Define Your Vision: Write a clear mission statement and core principles.
Start Small: Launch a pilot group in your local area or online.
Build a Team: Recruit facilitators, therapists, and scholars who share your vision.
Create Resources: Develop materials for Bible study, critical thinking, and emotional growth.
Promote the Initiative: Use social media, local networks, and partnerships to spread the word.

Long-Term Vision

Over time, your initiative could grow into a network of local and online communities, offering a unique blend of spiritual, intellectual, and emotional support. By staying true to your core principles and fostering a culture of curiosity and compassion, you could create a movement that helps people engage with ancient wisdom in a way that is both authentic and transformative.

This is a big idea, but it’s also deeply needed in today’s world. By starting small and staying focused on your vision, you can build something truly impactful.

AI Prompt (DeepSeek):

Background: Al-Anon/AA/NA/CoDA/Celebrate Recovery all operate on a similar principle. The meeting location is largely irrelevant (wherever space can be found), but there is shared set of practices and principles upon which they internally operate, and most of them share a large overlap of those even with each other. They aren't a "Church", they don't own buildings, they don't even have LLCs in most cases, although they have some governance locally and nationally (albeit loosely). -----> In much the same way, I'm feeling an increasing desire over the last decade to start.... SOMETHING?.... related to both helping people read the bible more authentically (free from doctrines, creeds, and traditions, and 'we believe' commitments) while also providing a place for people to think better. Learn critical thinking skills, how to get curious and not defensive, etc. How to understand the biblical authors ANE/2nd Temple worldview, what it means to read the bible as wisdom meditation literature and not "law", and then think about that wisdom in today's context theologically. Not stripping words and blindly applying them to today, but really "wrestling with God" as Jacob is said to have done, and do so in community. I would also like to offer a variety of group sessions that border on therapy or at least therapeutic, and partner with licensed therapists for those who need clinical assistance, while offering (very well trained) "lay counseling", in line with Siang-Yang Tan's philosophy. In some ways, Academic Biblical Studies, Critical Thinking courses, Philosophy, Theology, and Psychology seem a disparate group of things to homogenize into a single (?Group, Organization, Event, Label?). But in other ways, it seems natural, and indeed Fuller Theological Seminary blends many Theology/Psychology programs. Help me organize this thought into something coherent.

Shalom: Live Long and Prosper!

Darrell Wolfe (DG Wolfe)

Storyteller | Writer | Thinker | Consultant @ DarrellWolfe.com

Clifton StrengthsFinder: Intellection, Learner, Ideation, Achiever, Input
16Personalities (Myers-Briggs Type): INFJ

Written January 29, 2025 by Darrell G Wolfe

Armchair Theology, Biblical Studies, counseling, Freedom, psychology No comments

Friday, February 22, 2019

The Gospel of Luke:

Jesus was in the temple asking questions, his parents had been clueless and lost him. But he went home, was obedient to them, and grew in favor...

As I read that story, I was reminded of what it was like to grow up with a high IQ and more wisdom than average...

I realized, as I was meditating on this story, that God will ask you to submit to authority that often doesn't understand you and may not even be as intelligent as you... But submit you must if you will find maturity and favor.

How often do we buck authority because we think we know better?

Submission brings maturity and favor that all the intellect in the world can't bring.

Selah.

Shalom: Live Long and Prosper!

Darrell Wolfe (DG Wolfe)

Storyteller | Writer | Thinker | Consultant @ DarrellWolfe.com

Written February 22, 2019 by Darrell G Wolfe

bible, Daily Reading, Freedom No comments

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Levels of Change Part Nine

Foundations Class #2

Levels of Change

Bob Hamp

Class can be seen on GatewayPeople.Com

Part Nine

A Parable: The Kingdom of God is like: Phantom Limb Syndrome

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/phantom-limb-pain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BlsoyE1CIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL_6OMPywnQ
Phantom Limb Syndrome is where a limb, a leg for example, is removed, but the brain still sends signals as though it's there. The missing foot can itch, burn, hurt, etc.

When doctors treat the symptom of the nervous system (ei: giving Tylenol when the missing foot hurts) they can actually strengthen the nervous systems embedded reactions telling the brain the leg is still in tact. It was successful temporarily, but it maintained the lie over time. This was because as the treatment made it better for a moment and then it got worse again, and more medicine made it better, but then it got worse again, and it could strengthen the programing of the brain.

Phantom Limb Syndrome Solution

Instead some doctors who know this will instead prescribe a series of treatments that engage the new nerve endings. Touch the NEW nerve endings with hot things, cold things, prickly things, soft things, as many new sensations as possible to stimulate the NEW nerve endings, telling the nervous system through new experiences that something has indeed change, allowing the brain to be re-routed for this new information. Get the FOCUS of the brain to what is NEW THERE.

In order to allow the new nature you were born with to reprogram our nervous system we must begin to stimulate the new nerve endings, which allows the nervous system to reprogram those new experiences into our beliefs.

Many people who get saved are told to go to church, read your bible, pray, etc... Newsflash... you don't HAVE to do any of those things. They have nothing to do with your going to heaven or being saved.

However the Bible is a book full of Words written BY GOD FOR YOU and it's full of information about what has been done in you already. Instead of wrestling with a dead man who isn't there anymore we can begin to stimulate our nervous system to what is NEW in us. Going to church and being with other believers, hearing the Word Taught, but also talking WITH other believers allows us to renew our nervous system to that which is NEW there. Bible Reading, Pastors Messages, Prayer, Church Gathering, Etc are all ways to stimulate what is new about you, that which has ALREADY happened.

The more of these you do, with the mindset that you are not doing them "to become", but rather, "to discover" what you "have become", the faster we can re-program our nervous system to understand what is new about us and what has died.

The Struggle: The Old You is dead. The New You is alive. The FLESH has old programming left over from the old you. You are not fighting the old you. That you is dead. What must be done now is to teach and train the flesh that something NEW has happened.

*The teachings of this class are not my own, they are derived from notes I took during a class at Gateway Church. You may view the class on their website by following the link at the top of the page.

__

Have questions about anything I said here? Want to share your story? Comment Below!

I call you empowered 2 prosper with good success!

N2 Good SuccessDarrell G. Wolfe
Blog: http://n2gs.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/n2goodsuccess
Twitter: http://twitter.com/n2goodsuccess

See Also:
Books by Darrell G. Wolfe: Amazon.com/author/darrellgwolfe
Book Suggestions from the N2 Good Success Amazon Store
Brand and Product Offerings from N2 Good Success Zazzle Store

Written November 12, 2013 by Darrell G Wolfe

Faith, Freedom, Keys To Success, Spiritual Growth No comments

Levels of Change Part Nine

Foundations Class #2

Levels of Change

Bob Hamp

Class can be seen on GatewayPeople.Com

Part Nine

A Parable: The Kingdom of God is like: Phantom Limb Syndrome

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/phantom-limb-pain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BlsoyE1CIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL_6OMPywnQ
Phantom Limb Syndrome is where a limb, a leg for example, is removed, but the brain still sends signals as though it's there. The missing foot can itch, burn, hurt, etc.

Phantom Limb Syndrome Solution

The Struggle: The Old You is dead. The New You is alive. The FLESH has old programming left over from the old you. You are not fighting the old you. That you is dead. What must be done now is to teach and train the flesh that something NEW has happened.

Written November 12, 2013 by Darrell G Wolfe

Faith, Freedom, Keys To Success, Spiritual Growth No comments

Monday, November 11, 2013

Levels of Change Part Eight

Foundations Class #2

Levels of Change

Bob Hamp

Class can be seen on GatewayPeople.Com

Part Eight

The Enemies Of Your Change

Enemies

There are enemies to your new life that try to crush you and keep your from seeing this New Life. Here are three enemies that will work against you, as you are aware of the Schemes of Satan you can work around these and overcome.

The battleground for your life is the place of the old you (Beliefs based on your past experiences) and the new you (Beliefs based upon that which was done in you through Christ). You don't get free from who you are until the old you is crucified on the cross.

This battleground is moving our beliefs in experience to God's new reality.

Demonic Oppression

Demonic activity in 21st Century USA looks different than it does in third world nations. This is because the enemy opposes you at the level you are most vulnerable. In the USA we define reality in terms of Intellect and Materialism. This is not to say we are smart and rich, it is to say that we are defining our reality by that which we can see, taste, touch, and feel, and that which we can reason. That which we can comprehend Scientifically or Philosophically.
Therefore demonic activity in the USA often is seen as thoughts that are contrary to who you are In Him. "You are just so stupid..." or "I am just so stupid..." You think these are your thoughts, they are not. "You are going to fail..." or "You are the worst believer..."
How can the devil attack at thoughts? You ever wake up in the morning and your favorite band is in your head? No, the band can't fit in your head. But their music is, and their music has created pathways and mental processes so that you can still hear the music even though it's not playing anymore. This is also true for stupid commercial jingles you don't want to remember. Bob says for example: "I do not have hard core rap in my head at random times. That is because I've never made a place for it or put it in me. However when some random old rock song comes on the radio I can still sing the words many years after. This is because I made place in my heart at one time for those things." Therefore if the devil attacks you at a level you have already made a place he can get in. You are most vulnerable to the songs you know very well. You must renew yourself to who you are In Him and remove the place in your heart for those old things. If he can just start the song you will finish it. "You are so dumb..." and you'll take off from there. It's like a broken record that plays so long you don't hear it conciously anymore.
Demonic Oppression only gains strength as we give them more and more place.They gain strength the more that we agree with them. In the same way, as we disagree with them they loose strength.

World System

The world's system war against us.

Family. God's primary design for Family is that it is a way to transmit blessings for thousands of generations. In this fallen system family defects often influence us. "If my Dad abandoned me it's hard to believe God will always be with me." Past family traits and experiences will work against the new us.
Circumstances of your life will create past experiences which will impact belief.
The Church

Religion and traditions of men.

Often someone stands up with a microphone and bible and addresses the crowd and we automatically attribute to them authority that may or may not actually be of God.
Whole churches or whole groups of churches can become toxic as these fallacies grow from generation to generation.
Because the church is a human run organization it is prone to error and as we digest that error we are soured at some level for certain things.
Also because it's human run, the church can be just as toxic and damaging to a human heart as any other organization.

We must make our relationship between ourselves and God, through His Word, and take anything taught by men to God for correction or revelation.

The Flesh

The Flesh is the part of you that you travel around in.

Homework, Read: Romans 6-9
Three Characters war within you:

Old Nature (Sin Nature, Old Man, Dead Nature)
Flesh (Body, Container, physical needs, desires, nervous system, etc)

Nervous System feeds you back information about your experience. Satan is trying to program your experiences so that your nervous system will tell you things about truth or what to believe. It CAN lie to you.

New Nature (Spirit, Born Again Spirit)

In Salvation the old man is crucified and buried. The nervous system has been programed by the old nature for years. Just because the old man is dead and buried doesn't mean the program stopped running. It's as though you given away your computer to someone else but don't wipe the hard drive, there is still all your old data stored in there, and viruses and still there that you didn't clean out, etc.
New Nature is born inside the Flesh. The New Spirit is meant to re-program from the inside out working through you.

The Enemies to Your Change: Have no power accept that which you give them, knowingly or unknowingly. Many times you don't realize those enemies are affecting you, because you see life through a broken window, or you see yourself through a broken mirror.

Written November 11, 2013 by Darrell G Wolfe

Faith, Freedom, Keys To Success, Spiritual Growth No comments

Levels of Change Part Eight

Foundations Class #2

Levels of Change

Bob Hamp

Class can be seen on GatewayPeople.Com

Part Eight

The Enemies Of Your Change

Enemies

Demonic Oppression

Demonic activity in 21st Century USA looks different than it does in third world nations. This is because the enemy opposes you at the level you are most vulnerable. In the USA we define reality in terms of Intellect and Materialism. This is not to say we are smart and rich, it is to say that we are defining our reality by that which we can see, taste, touch, and feel, and that which we can reason. That which we can comprehend Scientifically or Philosophically.
Therefore demonic activity in the USA often is seen as thoughts that are contrary to who you are In Him. "You are just so stupid..." or "I am just so stupid..." You think these are your thoughts, they are not. "You are going to fail..." or "You are the worst believer..."
How can the devil attack at thoughts? You ever wake up in the morning and your favorite band is in your head? No, the band can't fit in your head. But their music is, and their music has created pathways and mental processes so that you can still hear the music even though it's not playing anymore. This is also true for stupid commercial jingles you don't want to remember. Bob says for example: "I do not have hard core rap in my head at random times. That is because I've never made a place for it or put it in me. However when some random old rock song comes on the radio I can still sing the words many years after. This is because I made place in my heart at one time for those things." Therefore if the devil attacks you at a level you have already made a place he can get in. You are most vulnerable to the songs you know very well. You must renew yourself to who you are In Him and remove the place in your heart for those old things. If he can just start the song you will finish it. "You are so dumb..." and you'll take off from there. It's like a broken record that plays so long you don't hear it conciously anymore.
Demonic Oppression only gains strength as we give them more and more place.They gain strength the more that we agree with them. In the same way, as we disagree with them they loose strength.

World System

The world's system war against us.

Family. God's primary design for Family is that it is a way to transmit blessings for thousands of generations. In this fallen system family defects often influence us. "If my Dad abandoned me it's hard to believe God will always be with me." Past family traits and experiences will work against the new us.
Circumstances of your life will create past experiences which will impact belief.
The Church

Religion and traditions of men.

Often someone stands up with a microphone and bible and addresses the crowd and we automatically attribute to them authority that may or may not actually be of God.
Whole churches or whole groups of churches can become toxic as these fallacies grow from generation to generation.
Because the church is a human run organization it is prone to error and as we digest that error we are soured at some level for certain things.
Also because it's human run, the church can be just as toxic and damaging to a human heart as any other organization.

We must make our relationship between ourselves and God, through His Word, and take anything taught by men to God for correction or revelation.

The Flesh

The Flesh is the part of you that you travel around in.

Homework, Read: Romans 6-9
Three Characters war within you:

Old Nature (Sin Nature, Old Man, Dead Nature)
Flesh (Body, Container, physical needs, desires, nervous system, etc)

Nervous System feeds you back information about your experience. Satan is trying to program your experiences so that your nervous system will tell you things about truth or what to believe. It CAN lie to you.

New Nature (Spirit, Born Again Spirit)

In Salvation the old man is crucified and buried. The nervous system has been programed by the old nature for years. Just because the old man is dead and buried doesn't mean the program stopped running. It's as though you given away your computer to someone else but don't wipe the hard drive, there is still all your old data stored in there, and viruses and still there that you didn't clean out, etc.
New Nature is born inside the Flesh. The New Spirit is meant to re-program from the inside out working through you.

The Enemies to Your Change: Have no power accept that which you give them, knowingly or unknowingly. Many times you don't realize those enemies are affecting you, because you see life through a broken window, or you see yourself through a broken mirror.

Written November 11, 2013 by Darrell G Wolfe

Faith, Freedom, Keys To Success, Spiritual Growth No comments

Friday, November 8, 2013

Levels of Change Part Seven

Foundations Class #2

Levels of Change

Bob Hamp

Class can be seen on GatewayPeople.Com

Part Seven

Identity Solution VS Old Problems ReMixed

Salvation is not about behaving correctly. It's BEING a new person on the inside. Being a Christian is not about new sets of behaviors. Salvation is not about trying harder and asking for forgiveness. It's replacing my old nature with your new nature. Jesus takes our death and gives us HIS Life.

Take a moment and ask God: "God, salvation is replacing my old nature with your new nature. Have I done that?"

The words don't matter as much as the intent of them. If you haven't; pray something like this: "Jesus, I'm dead inside. I ask you to exchange my dead nature for your free-life nature. Make me new inside."

You don't get free from what you do until you get free from who you are.

The old you is crucified on the cross and the new you is raised from the dead.

Whether you did that 10 years ago or 10 seconds ago, Christian Leaders often makes the mistake of going right back to behavior. Right after taking someone through this they take the person to a room and give them a list of new behaviors, and it doesn't stick. It's like going back to arm wrestling yourself.

This doesn't work. They assume that you can behave differently just because you have Jesus in you. This is not true. This is legalism. The old patterns of thoughts, feelings, behaviors, experiences, and environment is still there, limited by beliefs and capabilities.

"The Righteous shall live by faith..." = Translation "As you believe in your heart so are you..."

Rather what must be done it not to try to become a new person. You already ARE a new person. You must now allow the new person you already are to be realized. It's not about doing, it's about surrendering to the new you. As you renew your heart to WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST, your beliefs will change as a by product.

As your beliefs change your capabilities will change, impacting how you think, act, and feel, which will change the relationships around you which creates a new environment.

Does this mean reading your bible, going to church, doing other "religious" activities is not important? No. But these things are not meant to address your need at the level of behavior. They are not so that you will "Act Better". These things are meant to renew your heart to who you are IN HIM. As you renew your heart you will belief better, which gives you higher orders of capability, which affect your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which impact the world around you for the better. Your environment (Job, Marriage, Relationships, Habits, Etc) will be affected positively for the better as a result of renewing your heart to who you are In Him. It will not require you to work or do better, nor will it require effort. It will be the natural by product of believing your new identity, and discovering what that identity is.

What do I mean by this? Let's say you find out that you are a new creation In Christ, and you have not been given a spirit of Fear but of Power, Love, and a Sound Mind.

Let's say insanity or lower versions of it, run in your family and you've spent generations worth of time as a family in and out of therapists offices. You've had an Identity of "Clinically Depressed" for so many years, maybe since childhood, that you see yourself this way. You don't Believe that you could be different, so your Limited (inCapable) of change, therefore you Think, Feel, and Act depressed, which create experiences and therefore the Environment around you confirms that you are this way.

Now you realize that YOU are not Identified with depression, but rather Identified as In Christ, a new creature full of Power, Love, and a Sound Mind. This identity allows you to Believe that you are free, freedom is not something you work for, it already belongs to you. You simply need to enforce your right. As you believe you see yourself Capable of change, Capable of living with Joy and Fullness. Because of this new found capability you Think, Feel, and Act differently. This creates new Experiences in your relationships with people and places and therefore the Environment around you begins to confirm this change has taken place.