What an amazing day we had on Sunday! Julie led us in an amazing time of worship. God just poured out His presence and took us to another level in our worship. Wearne then brought us an excellent communion message and again you could feel God’s presence there as he led us through communion.
In what was without a doubt the best sermon so far this year, Chris Kolle gave an excellent anointed message about the Grace Mindset.

We are encouraged not to miss grace (Heb 12:15), not to receive it in vain (2 Cor 6:1) and not to fall from grace (Gal 5:4). The opposite to grace is law. Grace came through Jesus, while the law was given through Moses (John 1:17). Law is not necessarily a bad thing - it gives us a guide to what is right and wrong. Both grace and law will modify our behaviour. If your mindset is on law, your relationships will be affected.
In 2 Cor 10:4-5, we’re dealing with mindsets and the outworking of that in life. We need to take our thoughts captive. We need to get our mindsets right and set our minds on the things of God.
In Romans 7, Paul is describing somebody under grace who is trying to live the law. Jesus totally dealt with sin. It’s unnatural for us to sin - the old nature has gone.
In Romans 8:1-11, Paul talks about our mindset. If you’re led by the spirit, you are not under the law.

• Grace needs to be our internal motivation. Law is making your behaviour rule based.
• Rules don’t cut it. If you’re not there to enforce the rules, they don’t get obeyed. Tell people why there are rules - this is the value of the rule and the grace mindset.
• Get to the point where you have nothing to prove. Live for an audience of one. Don’t worry about what other people think -that is law based. If you’re living wondering what people think, you’re living under law.
• Try and make a difference and not ‘need to be needed’. If you find your value in being needed, you’re under law.
• Try and see the best. Don’t be critical and judgmental
• Don’t rank people. That’s law. Be impartial and see people equally.
• If you have a law mindset, you’ll find it hard to forgive. Don’t hide sin under laws. Don’t justify your sin by laws. Having a grace mindset forgives.
• A grace mindset has an agape love. A law mindset has Eros (self pleasing love) or Nomos (wrong use of the law - makes people control freaks).
• Grace brings freedom and joy. Law means you are burdened and trying to be accepted by God.
• Grace means that you are accepted by God. The law mindset means that you are continually trying to win acceptance by God.

The issue of acceptance
Our behaviour can be governed by trying to be accepted. Come from a place that says “I am accepted”. Don’t get caught trying to be accepted. We are accepted so we behave (grace). The opposite to that is we behave to be accepted (law). In Gal 3:3 it tells us not to try and attain your goals by human effort. Let the mindset of grace flow out and influence your behaviour. Read the bible because you want to. Tithe and give extra because you want to. Don’t be legalistic about it. Your intimacy of God affects the way you think. Stand in the place of intimacy with God and your relationships will flow out of that. Forgiveness will flow automatically. Don’t reduce the relationship to legalism/law. Every choice you make flows out of your relationship with God.

Accepted by God
It’s because of Jesus we are accepted (Gal 2:16). We’re all equal, totally accepted by God (Gal 3:26-29). We have everything we need in God (Gal 4:4-7). We are sons of God. We are heirs. Don’t push God away by our sin. Think about grace and what God has done. Live your life with a grace mindset, we’re accepted by God.

Acceptance of Others
It’s easy to get sucked in seeking the acceptance of others. In Gal 1:10, we see Peter and Barnabas get sucked in to pleasing man. Don’t try and please everybody. You won’t be serving God if you’re doing that.
Prov 29:25 tells us not to fear what other people think. Know you are accepted by God. Christ accepted us while we were still sinners.

Acceptance of Self
If you find it hard to accept yourself, you’ll have trouble in relationships. Acceptance of yourself flows out of your acceptance from God. God doesn’t give us a list, He gives us His love. Remember that God loves us for who we are, so love Him for who He is.

Live a holy life because you want to. Look at your intimacy with your Father. Is it intimacy or is it legalistic?
Out of the intimacy will flow the mindset.

God’s presence was literally poured out in a totally amazing, awesome way today. We were standing on holy ground and each person who was there was influenced by God’s presence. God is about to do some amazing things in the church, the community and the people, so get ready for a great move of God!

Have a great week and allow the grace mindset to permeate your life.

We heard from Rob today who spoke about “being a Christian”. As part of being a Christian, we need to understand God’s love. In the story of the rich man who asked what he needed to do to be saved, Jesus pointed out the 5 commandments that he had kept. When he asked what else he needed to do, Jesus told him the other 5 that he hadn’t kept. Jesus loves us enough to show us where we need to change. We can’t be in God’s presence and not be changed. If He shows us stuff, we will either deal with it, or pull away.
John declares that God’s love identifies us as believers. There are levels of outworking of this love, which has transforming ability. God sent Jesus to show us this love. He wanted us to change. True love confronts those with issues that they need to deal with. Jesus confronts us with the truth that we are liars if we say we’ll live for Him but don’t (1 John 2:3-6). If we love God, we live in obedience to His word. It’s a choice we make.

Be motivated by your love for God, not anything else. Service comes out of love for God.

Have a great week! Be a blessing to somebody.

To live an overcoming life we need to live out of who we are in Christ, what God has made us to be in Christ and what Jesus purchased for us on the cross.
Begin your day based upon God’s word, not how you feel. Stand on the word of God. Don’t ignore the facts, but ensure that you continually stand on the word of God.
Remember our legal position in Christ, based on what God’s word tells us. Get a revelation of this, not just a head knowledge.

Believers have been empowered by God to live resisting the urge to sin. We are tempted, but we don’t long to sin anymore. We are empowered to overcome temptation. (James 4:7)

Walk in the Spirit. Resist the devil. If you’re not submitting to God and resisting the devil, how can you draw near to Him?

Have a great week!