Guilt and Grace

Grief, anxiety, love, celebration, pain, and struggles were common stories we heard as week after week our college and career CG would meet and share.  

As Leslie and I got to know our group better and listened to their stories more deeply, a common thread emerged. A sense of guilt. I do not believe it has anything to do with the uniqueness of their stage of life; I think it is something we all struggle with.   

Our group was made up of good kids. Most, but not all, were raised in church.  Many had walked with Christ for years, and some were getting their first introduction.  Yet one thing that struck me is how much grace they had for each other, and at the same time so little grace for themselves. 

“But there was that one night when <insert struggle here>.” 
“I just can’t seem to break the power that <insert sin here> continues to have over me.” 

Guilt-ridden is how many came on any Sunday night; unable to forgive themselves for sins of the past (or present). Determined to help them understand their identity in Christ, we started a chapter-by-chapter study through The Grace Awakening by Charles Swindoll. 

Week after week we discussed the beauty and depth of grace. Our group never cheapened grace with a get-out-of-jail free card which might encourage reckless living; they were very restrained, offering grace to others, but not seeing that the same grace applied to each of them.  They were a new creation in Christ, unworthy of His grace, but willingly holding it as a valuable gift. We never saw in them the danger of standing in judgment over others, but they struggled with being judge and jury over their own actions and decisions. Each of us cries for the mercy of God but also holds the attitude that if God truly knew me, He might not be as full of grace and love. If He knew what a wreck I had made of my life or had seen that secret sin I hope no one will catch me in (you know the one, it’s the one you can’t let go of), then certainly He couldn’t love me so easily. 

At times, we tend to take the seat of judgment from God. We see Him as the Holy, loving judge for others, yet when it comes to THAT sin in our lives, we become judge and jury of ourselves, and we find ourselves guilty. We serve a God, who by His mercy, has declared us NOT GUILTY. Not because He is impressed by us or because we deserve it, but because He sees us through His Son with whom He is well pleased.  

We cannot fathom the depth of grace God has for His children, the ones who are hidden in the righteousness of His Son.   We are not guilty because He declared us not guilty. That is our identity. God is on His throne! 

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Psalms 32:1-2 (ESV)  

Written by: Tim Gardner 

Tim and Leslie Gardner have been at The Mount for seven years. They have two daughters, 26 and 18 who both attend The Mount.  The Gardners have served in children’s ministry, students, as CG leaders, and both are Certified Biblical Counselors. 

Holy Obedience

When you hear the word obedience, what do you think of? For me, as a father, I think of obedience in terms of children being obedient to their parents. As a young parent, I am learning what obedience looks like, and I am reminded of how I am not that much different when it comes to obeying than my two-year-old. His battle is the bathtub, mine is not giving into greed. His battle is eating his vegetables, mine is controlling my tongue. The list goes on and on. Though his battles might seem easier than mine, our hearts are similar in pulling us away from the things that are for our good and toward the things that are not. Apart from Christ, our heart is wicked and sinful (Jeremiah 17:9). 

Thankfully, just like through my continual, gentle, sometimes stern, command for obedience from my toddler, we are also commanded to obey by our Heavenly Father. We see God’s command for obedience in the book of Exodus when he tells the Israelites, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine,” (Exodus 19:5). In Deuteronomy it states, “You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always,” (Deuteronomy 11:1). This is for our good. Obedience toward God is something that becomes delight, not just duty. It should be something that we want to do because of what God has done through Christ in us.  

It is in the life of Jesus that we see obedience modeled perfectly. Holy obedience is the obedience to the Father that Jesus demonstrated throughout his life. In the gospel of Luke, we see Jesus living out obedience to the Father from a young age as he honored his earthly mother and father. Luke records that after Jesus was found listening to the teachers in the temple, he was submissive to his parents as they went down to Nazareth (Luke 2:51). Later in his life, in the garden, Jesus models obedience to the Father as the cross of the crucifixion draws near. Jesus was obedient even to the point of death on a cross in submission to the Father’s will (Philippians 2:8). If you are in Christ, you are called to walk in holy obedience (1 John 5:2-3). It does not come easy, but in Christ, you can answer the call to obedience, through the power of his Holy Spirit. As we seek to become like Jesus, the pursuit of holy obedience is a gift and a grace to us. It is not meant to take away our joy in life, but rather give us joy in full as we follow Jesus together in submission to our Father’s will. 

Written by Matt Gaskin 

Radiate

If you could see yourself in 10 years, who would you want to be like? Without a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Aragorn.” A high school boy I was counseling wanted to see himself as Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. And he was dead serious. As I investigated, I found what he meant was “strong, independent, and seen by others as a leader.” What this young man wanted was for others to see him for what he desired on the inside. Too often we focus on external observations of us instead of internal transformation. This is why we must get the order right when Peter tells us: “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.’—1 Peter 3:8 

The life of blessing is a blessing to other people. It starts at the heart’s core of love, and get this, it radiates out. It radiates out to other people for their blessing and their good. It's not just good feelings and good vibes. It leads itself to action.  

Peter gives us five characteristics of the life of blessing, and that life of blessing is because we follow Jesus, The Blessed One. You have like-mindedness, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart (compassion), and humility. They're not chosen at random or to be kept to ourselves, but they demonstrate themselves in action. They radiate out of a heart of love, a heart that's indebted to Jesus and for what He has done for us. 1 Corinthians 12:26 demonstrates how these characteristics radiate and are put on display in action toward others: “If one member suffers, all suffer together, and if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”  

Because of the day and age in which we live, I'll give you a warning from my own subjective, personal experience: I found it very hard to celebrate God's blessing in my life for the last 10-15 years. I think it comes from the secular culture of victimhood. Now, listen, victims are real, oppressors are real, and abusers are real. However, my biggest concern is that people begin to see themselves as only victims. If you begin to celebrate anything good in your life, people will tell you to, “tone it down” and “Don't rejoice so loudly because someone else doesn't have or isn't experiencing what you experience. Your celebration is hurting them because they don’t have, or haven’t experienced, what you are.” 

1 Corinthians 12 tells us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing, to celebrate the blessings of God, to acknowledge that He did all of this, but it also tells us to suffer with those who suffer. There's an amount of wisdom that's necessary when it comes to empathy and how it displays itself in the life of believers. The biggest thing is that empathy always looks at the other one. It always says, “Who needs to be served, who needs to be encouraged? How can I get involved? How can I demonstrate that? How can I display Jesus' sympathy toward me as a sinner and identify with others to love on them and encourage them and serve them in the process?”  

May the wisdom we learn help to humble our pride, strengthen us in our weakness, comfort us in our pain, and make us more deeply sensitive to one another. —Sinclair Ferguson 

The more sensitive we become to one another, whether others are rejoicing or suffering, it always leads to action. 

  How do you know if God is calling you to an assignment of displaying empathy, to serve
someone else, to encourage someone else, to meet a need of someone else? Historically, I've just said this, a need seen is an assignment given. That's how you know! How do you know where empathy worked itself out? You saw a need, and you responded without waiting for someone else to do it. 

Written by: Pastor Andy Swart  

Andy Swart has been a member of The Mount since 2019. If he’s not working or spending time with his family, you can find him working on one of his passion projects: garage organization. 

Devil’s Den, Discipline, and Delight

“We can totally do this”, the three of us unanimously agreed. Oh, how naïve youth and ignorance can make us. The name, “Devil Den’s State Park”, should’ve been enough of a warning sign but when have young men ever let a park’s name stop them from pursuits of glory? 

The plan was to hike the Butterfield Hiking Trail. That’s it. No training, purchasing gear, gathering intel from trust hikers, or emergency plans if things went sideways. We set out on the 15.6 miles labeled as “hard”, “experienced hikers only”, and other warnings that I’m sure were there but they would only get in the way of our goal of conquering the trail. No matter the cautions we wouldn’t let reality diminish our illusory confidence that “we can totally do this.” 

To save you from the gory details, here’s the short of it: We completed the trail, beaten, humbled, and hurting for several days afterward. We failed to take seriously what it would take to make it through the hike without destroying ourselves in the process. 

The Christian life of following Jesus can be similar. In moments of spiritual renewal, we make emotionally charged declarations of obedience and faithfulness to Jesus. While these declarations can be normal parts of the Christian life, we often fail to prepare a disciplined plan to help sustain us when our will fails.  

The Path of Obedience 

Obedience is a clear indication of our love for Jesus. It is through obedience that we demonstrate our trust in His wisdom and our commitment to His will. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands" (John 14:15). This is not a burdensome requirement but a joyful response to His love and grace. At times, joy in obedience will come naturally. Inexplicably, our will, desire, and affections are stirred from within propelling us to keep in-step with Jesus’ commands. At other times, joy in obedience seems arduous. The necessity of discipline keeps us from letting our will, desire, and affections hijack our commitment to Jesus.  

An anticipated moment that every Christian must prepare for is when our emotions take us to I don’t “feel” or “want” to keep God’s commands. Obedience involves aligning our actions, thoughts, and attitudes with God's Word. It requires surrendering our own desires and submitting to His authority. While this can be challenging, it is also incredibly rewarding.  

Discipline is the prepared plan to continually put you near Jesus. Discipline isn’t dependent upon whether we “feel” like it or not. Discipline will till the soil to stir the will, desire, and affections that usher in delight. It is the discipline of regularly putting yourself in proximity to be changed by Jesus, with faith that, eventually, delight will come.  

I want to encourage you to reflect on the areas of your life where you might be struggling with obedience. Are you letting your emotions prevent you from proximity to Jesus? Ask God to help you align your will with His and to give you the strength to follow His commands. Plan for seasons where delight is M.I.A. He’ll meet you there. 

Remember, obedience is a journey, not a destination. Take it one step at a time. 

Written by: Pastor Andy Swart 

Andy Swart has been a member of The Mount since 2019. If he’s not working or spending time with his family, you can find him working on one of his passion projects: garage organization.  

Love Received and Applied

Rhythm: Become Like Jesus

The 2024 Olympics wrapped up recently, and the spectacle of elite athletes pushing their bodies to the extremes to win a prize has always fascinated me.  In our house, we watched on the edge of our seats as Armand Duplantis attempted to break the world record in pole vaulting.  The bar was set at 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in), and no one in history had ever made it over. 

 
In John 13:34, Jesus gave his followers a command.  Something they must do if they are truly His disciples.  “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” It sounds amazing and something I want to be a part of.  I love other believers who are following Jesus, and they love me back. The kind of love required by Jesus is specific.  It isn’t a whatever works for you kind of love.  The bar has been set.  We must love like Jesus loved. 

 
How did Jesus love?  Jesus demonstrated the greatest love in all of human history by laying down His own life, taking the full penalty of our sin— notably our repeated failures to love God and others—so that we might find our fullest joy in Him (John 10:18, 15:11, 15:13, Col. 2:14). The bar has been set extremely high.  And just like Duplantis, only one has succeeded. 

To get more clarification on what the love of Jesus looks like, read 1 Corinthians 13. God starts by saying that we are loving like Jesus when we are patient and kind towards others.  But have you ever considered the opposites?  Unfortunately, those are what I am naturally best at. I am unloving when I am impatient with others—when they keep me from doing what I want when I want it. When others are talking, and I’m distracted and not really listening, I am unloving. I am unloving with thoughtless, careless words that are unkind or borderline rude. In my lack of love, I simply don’t care about others or their opinions. When I push to get my way and don’t consider others’ needs or perspectives, I am unloving. In my poverty of love, I act irritable or resentful when I don’t get my way. By nature, I am not a loving person.  I am selfish and self-centered, focused too much on what would make me happy or my life easy. 

But Jesus’ love is a selfless love, an enduring and hopeful love, a love that suffers much from the objects of His love yet does not fade and never wavers (Rom. 8:38-39). The bar has been set higher than I can achieve on my own.  If I can’t love others as God has commanded, is there any hope? Yes!  By grace and through faith in Christ, we already have what we need to love others like Jesus.  We have the very love of God in our hearts.  Romans 5:5 makes it clear: “God's love has been poured into our hearts.”  So, the solution is simply to give what we have received. 

But why does it feel like we don’t have any love to give at times?  My tank can feel so empty. Forgetfulness tends to empty our love tank. If we forget the kind of love God has lavished on us to claim us as His own children (1 John 3:1), if we fail to realize the eternal torment from which we have been spared (Matt. 13:41-42), if we are no longer thankful for the underserved blessings from our God (Psalm 103), and if we falsely think we have been forgiven little, our love will be little (Luke 7:47). 

 
Lord, help us to remember the great love with which You have loved us!  We have received so much.  Therefore, we have much to give. 

Written by: Paul Hatfield 

Paul and Cori Hatfield have been members of the Mount for almost three years.  They have two kids—Aubrey and Jared.  Paul currently serves in Worship Arts (kids, adults, wherever) and Re|engage. 

The Word Revealed

Rhythm: Be With Jesus

I consider myself to be a Bible nerd. It fascinates me to see connections between the Old and New Testament, seeing the big picture of scripture which has an overlying major thread running from the first page of the Bible to the last. Even as a kid, I used to sit in “big church” because I wanted to be a part of the sermons and deep study. I am thankful the Lord gave me a desire to learn, but more importantly that he provided his Word to reveal more of himself to us each day.  

God has revealed himself to his creation in many ways.  Paul makes an argument in Romans 1 that through the general revelation of God to all mankind, no one has an excuse to say they do not know him. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they [we] are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Having a knowledge of God’s existence does not have the power to save; it can convict, but the natural world around us cannot convey the message of Christ and the hope and mechanism of salvation. 

The fullest manifestation of God’s glory in his creation is through the person of Jesus Christ – “and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). 

God also gave to his creation the written Word as a revelation of his person, his nature, his character, and his righteousness. The Holy Spirit inspired men to record the heart and mind of God as it had been shown to them, the infallible, enduring Word that is the highest authority among creation. Just hear how men under the inspiration and authority of the Spirit speak about scripture:  

“All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” Luke 11:28 

“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 

We should ask, why did God create language?  If we were created to simply bring glory to God in individual worship, then there was no need for us to be able to communicate with each other.  Language was created, though, for us to be able to share the knowledge of God, ideas about God, and worship God corporately.  His inspired Word was given so we could combine our intellectual experiences as we explore who we are and who he is.  God gave us his Word to understand his redemptive plan through history; to preserve it, and to share it with others.  To understand him more deeply drives us to enjoy and worship him more thoroughly. 

God’s word reveals his lovingkindness; the beauty of his holiness is recorded in the pages of scripture. He invites each of us into a personal relationship with him, then shows us who he is through the depth of his word. Enjoy a quiet time as His Word washes over you; love him with all your mind as you study with your Bible and a good, thick commentary. “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18). Believer, come to the table and feast on the nourishment that is the Word of God. 

Written By: Tim Gardner 

Identity in Christ

Rhythm: Be with Jesus

Maybe you’ve had the unfortunate dream where you are being pursued by someone or something. In the broken physics of the dreamworld, no matter how hard you try, your pursuer is gaining ground. A few years ago, it seemed everywhere I looked I found Isaiah 43:18-21. It was in devotionals, emails, and even on the lips of my friends. God was pursuing me with the loving truth that my identity was found in Him and not my circumstances.

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20 The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my ch”osen people, 21 the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

As Christians, our identity is found in Jesus, who saves us, forms us for Himself, and calls us to live our lives for Him.

The past doesn’t define our identity. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." We tend to hold on to our past whether it is our past sins, who we used to be, or what others think of us, but the Lord wants us to look forward to what He is doing in our lives. When we hold on to the things of old, we are not putting our trust in Him. He has chosen us, has made us a new creation, and is sanctifying us. He is active in our lives and doing new things, now we get to live in that freedom and declare His praise.

Our present identity is defined, not in isolation, but with our ever-faithful friend, Jesus. We find this in Colossian 1:9-14. This scripture shows who we are in Christ, we get to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people who live in the light, and we are no longer slaves to sin, because Jesus has purchased our freedom and forgiven us.

To continually find our identity in Christ, we have to acknowledge the battle for what it is. There are competing allegiances, distractions, and desires of the flesh. These enemies can be external but often are the internal lies that we tell ourselves. I want to encourage you to not get caught up in negative self-talk because of circumstances, what others have said, or how they made you feel. Instead focus on the truths that we can easily find in God's Word. As we follow Jesus together, walk in the strength of who you are in Him, in endurance in the path before you, and in patience with each other.

To close, pray Colossians 1:9-14 over yourself, your family, and our church.

“I ask you God to give us complete knowledge of Your will and to give us spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way we live will always honor and please You Lord, and our lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, we will grow as we learn to know You, God better and better. I pray that we will be strengthened with Your glorious power, and you will provide us the endurance and patience we need each day. May we be filled with joy, always thanking You, Father. For You have enabled us to share in the inheritance that belongs to Your people, who live in the light. For You have rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of Your dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Amen."

Written by Kim Wreay

Kim has been a member at The Mount since 2006 and on staff as a ministry admin since 2014. She has two great boys, Tommy and Sammy. Kim leads a women's community group and is part of our biblical counseling team.

Repent and Believe

Rhythm: Be with Jesus

The gospel of Mark moves quickly and is action-driven towards Jesus’ words and works. Much like the war film, 1917, which followed two soldiers tasked with delivering a life-or-death message to Colonel Mackenzie. With 1,600 men hanging in the balance of this delivery, they had less than sixteen hours to successfully deliver this message. Whereas the gospel of Mark is focused on one man, the man Christ Jesus, and His message of life in exchange for His death. That is exactly how John Mark expresses his authorial intent of Jesus’ ministry. Within the very first chapter, Mark gets right to the gospel, ‘Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”’ (Mk. 1:14–15). Just as the lifesaving news successfully reached Colonel Mackenzie (spoiler alert), Jesus is proclaiming the good news of the gospel, that there is life in Himself, so repent and believe in Him.  

In the same way, wars determine the outcome of how people’s lives are sovereignly lived, Jesus is bringing cosmic war terms. However, the war is unseen, and its effects change nations. This was precisely the message of the kingdom of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is news that demands a response because the time is at hand. God’s kingdom is being inaugurated, so repent and believe. The implication of this response to repent and believe is not just an event but an ongoing response to the reality of who is sovereignly reigning over our lives. It is the beginning of basic training under the sovereign rule of the kingdom of God. In the same way, the two soldiers’ basic training equipped them to accomplish their mission of delivering a message, our basic training in spiritual disciplines begins with confessing and repenting of our old way of thinking, believing, and acting, and turning toward God’s way according to His kingdom because it is now a reality.  

As we Follow Jesus Together, we are called to live according to His spiritual rhythms, which begin with confession and repentance (turning from ourselves) and turning towards Him in full trust of our lives. Confession and repentance are the beginning posture of humbling ourselves under His mighty hand and it is an everyday process. John the Baptist expressed this idea as ‘bear fruits in keeping with repentance’ (Lk. 3:8). In other words, there is an attitudinal reality of us confessing (affirming God’s nature and will of) our rebellious hearts and repenting of (turning from) our selfish desires towards His desires (His will). This is a daily dynamic in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and when we recognize that process, it empowers us to pursue humility. The temptation is when focusing on confession and repentance a lot, we start to feel and believe that we are terrible people, like it is a constant beatdown. Know that this is the flesh’s response to God’s work in our lives.  

Be encouraged that confessing and repenting of our self-centeredness daily, is a daily dose of God’s enabling grace that the Holy Spirit is conforming into the image of Christ, the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15). We must embrace the grace of the Holy Spirit convicting us of our sin, that we would confess it and repent of it, trusting the process of His rhythms of grace. So, trust the process of confessing and repenting—daily let this discipline become your delight.     

Written By Michael Van Dyke