David C Cook – Tru “The Gathering” 2014
Session 1 – God Restores
Craig Jutila
Craig opened up The Gathering by sharing about our God who restores. Craig shared about his family and his life in ministry how he was broken by in his brokenness God restored what mattered most. It’s very easy to pretend but pretending never leads to restoration only further deception.
Here are some quotes from Craig’s session –
To restore to put back to the way it was intended to be.
How does God restore?
I was concerned with people liking me. – I was an idiot at home people liked me at church so I spent more time at church – I got positive feedback and I knew what was expected.
No one wakes up and decides to have an affair. You don’t go into it you grow into it.
Craig found his wife’s journal. It was a story of a wife trapped in the marriage with arrogant husband. Journals don’t lie. – (What would your spouses journal say about you?)
Courage – To share what is on the inside. – being vulnerable
You know you are sick when you sit in the waiting room thinking you are healthier then everyone there.
Most people want to say me too. It’s starts with the courage to say what we have done how we are broken how we need help and God’s grace.
If Craig and Mary can go to counseling we can go to counseling – A member of his church.
God Created – We Sinned – God Redeems – GOD RESTORES
Lazarus – God will Help
What are others calling you? What is God calling you?
You don’t have to tell everything to everyone but you have to tell something to someone.
My Thoughts.
What is biblical authenticity? It’s not just telling people everything you do. That has no lasting effect. The power of authenticity comes from us seeing ourselves as we are so we can see God as who he is. The power of sin is broken when we cling to Christ and forsake our sin. Until we see our sin for what it is and what it does we may be religious but we won’t be justified. Mary wept because she was forgiven much the Pharisees didn’t see themselves as they truly were so it kept them from seeing Jesus as Redeemer because they felt they didn’t need a Redeemer. We all need a redeemer. Jesus restores because he loves us because he loves us because he loves us.
Love how Craig ended with a call to action a call to community. We have to preach the value of community to preach the value of the local church. We live in a low commitment culture. We must value community. In community we Jesus like we would see him no other way.
Live in light of the Gospel because of what Jesus has done. See yourself as you are see Christ as he is. Don’t just tell others your stuff live in community the gospel provides.
