Hello friends! So sorry for the late post! Between birthday and graduation celebrations and being out of town, I fell behind. Hope to still discuss these chapters with you! Jess gave us a lot to revisit and a lot to think about! Here are Week One’s discussion questions:
Prologue: Pretty Little Liars
*Grace. Holiness. Mission. How would you define each of these terms?
*Jess writes that the symptoms of forsaking holiness is her life look like:
- constantly treating herself
- excusing herself
- becoming desensitized to the things of the world that break God’s heart
Can you relate to these symptoms? Are there other symptoms you notice in your own life?
*“When we talk about grace without holiness, grace begins to lose its weight” (pg. 24). Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
Chapter 1: We’re Missing Out
*Do you feel that you naturally lean more towards grace or holiness?
*On page 36, Jess describes her old equation and the new equation of working through the ideas of striving, grace, and holiness. What would your equation look like?
*“God’s grace is too powerful to let the transformation stop short at thanksgiving before going back to life as usual” (pg. 41). Discuss what happens when we stop at thanksgiving versus when we allow grace to transform us.
Chapter 2: Don’t You Feel Like Dancing
*Do you feel that you have lost the wonder of grace? Where do you see this loss manifesting itself in your life?
*“We can’t feel the grace if we don’t feel the sin” (pg. 66). What would it look like to fully see your sin for what it is and what it would cost you if Jesus hadn’t paid the price? Does the story of the Samaritan woman help guide you in how to walk in full knowledge of your sin alongside God’s grace?
*Jess writes that there are two symptoms of a community that is not dancing in grace. They are:
- a prevalence of striving
- not actively being compelled to persuade others to join us in partaking of grace
Do you see these in your community? In your own life?
Scripture of the Week
Proverbs 3:1-4
1 Peter 1:14-16
2 Corinthians 5:14
Prayer of the Week
Father God, we thank You for who You are and for leaning in towards us. You made a way when there was no way. It’s only because You chose to offer us grace that we can come near to You. Have we forgotten the wonder of grace? Would You help us to have a renewed vision of grace? Help us to stop our striving and to rest in what You’ve done for us. We long to be women who dance in grace! We don’t want to accept “cheap grace” or dismiss the wonderful gift that it is. We love You and praise You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
For Next Week
*Read Chapters 3-5. See you Friday with the discussion questions for these chapters 🙂
Ever since I can remember, the concept of being holy has always been explained (or perhaps it’s how I’ve interpreted it) as a goal, something that you chase after but may not necessarily attain. I think that’s because I mostly resonated with the grace aspect of salvation. This book has been immensely helpful in understanding how holiness and grace are intertwined, and how we already have been given grace and a holy standing in Christ.
What an amazing question: “Why don’t I think about where I’ve been freed to?” (Page 17) I’ve heard so much about Jesus taking away (and being freed from) my sin that grace has honestly been something I’ve taken for granted. I had this grace complex, in which I believed I had it together pretty well and didn’t need as much grace as everyone else. “If God isn’t holy and hasn’t made us holy, then sin isn’t such a big deal [and] grace isn’t so necessary.” (Page 24) I didn’t see my sin as a big deal, and like the author had done, I had forsaken holiness and been excusing myself for my not-so-holy behavior.
“[I]f by grace we have faith in Jesus, we are already holy.” (Page 31) What I needed to learn, to really sink in, was I’m NOT holy without Christ. I may give myself and others the world’s idea of grace, but Jesus’ grace is different because He’s perfect. And as “better” as I am in comparison to others, I’m not perfect.
God’s grace and holiness cover or clothe us when we believe in Him and place our lives in His hands. And yet, we are still sinners. But that’s why it’s so awesome that the Holy Spirit continues to work in us to change us to make us more like Him. We get to have God’s Spirit in us while we’re still a mess!? That’s grace for sure in and of itself?! And we get to choose to embrace, or agree with, this holiness God has given us. As Romans 7:15 says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” So much of the time we disagree with our holy standing, either from disbelief or pride or some other lie the enemy throws at us.
Life can seem overwhelming. We can get bogged down with the craziness of our lives, this world and just want to throw in the towel. Jesus, however, invites us “into abundant life—grace and holiness in harmony.” (Page 41) In John, Jesus says, “I came that they may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10) As I read this verse earlier this week, I read this differently for the first time. I remembered how another verse in John also says, “Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) Suddenly, I read John 10:10 as follows: “I came that they may have Me and have Me in abundance.”
Perhaps we don’t have the abundant life because we’re looking for some thing instead of Someone – or some thing from Someone…that Someone being Jesus. He is all we need; He is enough for us, and yet we keep searching for another option with the illusion we’ll somehow be satisfied.
I want to believe grace and holiness can coexist. I want to see my sin correctly. I want to see God rightly. I want to receive what I believe so I can dance, stand, and run into the abundant life He has for me.
Megs, thank you for your comments! I love reading them!
In recent years, I have been asking God “Where is this abundance You promised?!” as though He’s been holding out on me, and I obviously had it all so wrong. It’s not something He necessarily just gives, like a rain cloud that spills out (because in my mind it would be this spilling out of blessings I could see and list); it seems that it’s something we come alongside Him to enter in. Abundance is our agreement – a choosing to do our part (obedience) while walking in what He’s already done for us (grace, salvation, holiness). Then as we walk with Him He sanctifies us and we have the Holy Spirit too. This whole equation is hitting me differently – like a true math problem I am only beginning to understand.
I didn’t really think I needed sanctification as much as others because I’ve been a Christian for so long. But I know that I need to see my sin correctly and definitely have the sin of pride blinding me to so much. It is humbling to realize that I have been missing out on abundance because of my own selfishness, my sin, and my unwillingness to humble myself and surrender to His ways and to Him being all that I need. I’m constantly thinking about what I need (it’s like a neon sign flashing across my vision 24/7) and I’m sorry to say that the answer to what I need wasn’t always Him. It was self care, more help, a different job…fill in the blank with every single other thing! When all I needed to do is agree with Him, let myself surrender… it’s simple but not easy.
Wow. What an eye-opener this book has been!