How Grace Changes Men !

NOT "What would Harvey do?". But it is free.

Not long ago, I did something rude. OK, most days I find a way to be rude to somebody... usually my dear wife. But this was a little over the top. I've known this guy maybe 20 plus years. A while back he divorced his wife and somewhere in there "converted" to Catholicism.

I was walking near a church where I guess he goes to Mass. From about 50 yards in the stillness of the morning as I see him walking towards the church, I open my mouth and yell pretty loud in his direction, "Tell them grace is free." He looked at me not recognizing me, and I yelled it again. He kept walking. He knows how to handle nuts.

A few minutes later, he came walking back at about the same distance. Seems he was too late to go in to mass. I was walking in circles so I was able to travel without going much of anywhere. I felt I needed to redeem my rudeness so I yelled out again and identified myself and told him I hoped he was doing well. Doing fine he said. Glad to hear it I torted. I hope he is.

Before he got there, I had been walking watching people stream into that Catholic church. Of course, I have no idea what the local priest believes or teaches. I just know how wonderful grace is and am still learning and I can't stand the thought that most of us think our being good helps us find more and more favor with God. The cross was enough. A good towards-Easter renewing thought, don't you think?

I also wonder what this guy who I rarely see anymore is thinking these days. He used to talk and sing about God some; maybe he still does. I don't know. Somewhere in that time, he went Roman. Maybe he wanted some high church. Maybe his old protestant friends weren't helpful to him when he was in his marriage rebellion-funk. It sad I don't know or I didn't care. I only heard about it after the fact so that will be my excuse.

So remind yourself that grace is free. To us. Cost everything for Jesus. But to us, free. That it has to be free. That it is either or... your merit or Christ's merit... and if it is Christ's merit, you will never, ever have to worry about how God feels and acts towards you ever again. As Steve Brown says, "that is so cool!"

In fact, remind or tell someone else that it is free.
Just try to be less rude than me. Tends to be counter-productive.
The goal is to NOT ask yourself, "What would Harvey do?".
But it is fun to be free... indeed.

Matt, our most techno-hip pastor around here, links Mark Driscoll talking about men. I'm gonna watch it too. Matt tweets a bit. So does Mark D. So do I, but not like those guys... wow.

Catching up... Orlando thanks, ATL coming, getting more joy.

Some Conference catch-up
Wow, what a great Orlando gMan conference. Thank you speakers Bryan Chapell, Ray Cortese, Pete Alwinson, and a great local boy to us, Joe Bucha.
Thank you men who came. Thank you men who donated bucks. Thank you guys at Man in the Mirror... David, Brett, & Pat ... who helped us get the word out in Orlando.
Thank you Willow Creek Church... Heather, Jeff, Pete, Charlene, Jeff, our dear deacon brother, Julie, & Jinks.
Special thanks to the gMan conference staff - David & Lisa, Bill & Jane, Bob, & my dear Karen. What a gift.
We're working on the audio/video in the weeks ahead.
And we are working on being back in Orlando next Spring 2010.

Atlanta ahead - April 24-25, 2009 gMan Atlanta : Ivy Creek Church
Please come hear Nate Larkin, Scott Roley, Richard Pettit, & Charles Garland
Go here to register: http://thegospelman.com

gMan Flickr views!
posting gMan Conference pics here now !

Recovering Joy in the Gospel... Piper says he saw it Augustine.
You just gotta love John Piper... so much to love.
I especially like his dogged effort to press the notion that if you are low or missing joy in your Christian life, maybe you have a different or corrupted or partial Gospel. I know those adjectives don't say it well.
Most christian men I have known do not have Gospel joy. I would obviously include myself.
If that sounds too strong to you, then go ahead and answer the question for yourself: How many Christian men do you know in whom you see real joy in their lives and walks?
I know its hard times these days. Hey, I was laid off and am selling my house. It's a miserable time for many of us.
I think Piper got Christian hedonist on us through his studies of Scripture & the saints before us.
Let me point you to one excellent bio read on Augustine.
I'm reading Augustine's Confessions . His title means more than the confessing of his sins; it's his confession of his appreciation for God Himself. He addresses God throughout the book. He is talking to God and speaking to God and himself the truth about both... as he has learned it in the Scripture.

There's a satisfaction when I do my duty. And I believe I could have a lot of it if I were more dutiful. Some of you are. Much better than me. And I know Christ has already made me a better man in 32 years since he began humbling me and connected me to His cross. But I am also a worse man. The remaining presence of sin does that to you too. It continues to rob.
So to have joy, I will have to drink elsewhere than my moral performance. Joy awaits me in the Gospel. An identity grounded in forgiveness, adoption, imputed righteousness, a life controlled by the sovereign goodness of God.
I love reading of a man growing in joy in God. The Confessions are a good tonic, and Piper is a skilled doctor to prescribe Augustine for us. Go get more joy, dear brother.