One thing hit me today as I compare my own mindset to the Pharisees. How many times have I had a preconceived belief and looked for every piece of information as a self serving confirmation ghat I was right the Pharisees would dis everything they could to not rock their status and the professional experts. Humility or a willingness to learn was not among their options. Howamy times have I missed what God was about to show me but I thought k has all the facts
“A teachable spirit is not weakness. It is the heart of discipleship itself. Disciple, after all, simply means learner. Somewhere along the way, we swapped that identity for "defender of my own opinions." We have become experts at guarding our positions but amateurs at growing in the likeness of Jesus. The very word that once named us has been pushed to the margins.” - Joshua Johnson
“Being a follower of Jesus will put us at odds with the merit-based, ego-centric cultures of the world, particularly merit-based religious cultures. In the same way Jesus was targeted by the scribes and Pharisees for the things he taught and the things he did, being his follower will draw criticism and opposition from those whose identity and sense of self are rooted in such cultures.
The ways of the kingdom are at odds with the ways of merit-based cultures. These five stories give us glimpses of some of the differences.”
“The early stages of emotional and spiritual development require rules—guidelines to understanding right and wrong. The rules become a problem when people do not move beyond the early stages of development. They get stuck in black-and-white, either–or thinking and, thereby, in emotional-relational-spiritual immaturity.” - Excerpts. Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford
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