A Complialation of Scotty Ward Smith's "Signs You're Growing in Grace"

I've really enjoyed following Scotty Smith, Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin TN, on twitter (@scottywardsmith) he's written so much that's been good for my soul. I've especially been encouraged by his "signs you are growing in grace" tweets. They've really challenged, encouraged, and provoked much thought in me. I decided to compile some of the ones that have really hit me hard. This is not an exhaustive list, nor should it be used as a means of condemnation or rule-keeping legalism, but it should aid in probing your own heart, help you see more your need for Christ and drive you further to him, encourage you and build assurance, or give you something to think about and point out in fellow brothers and sisters in your church or in your own family:

- "You handle your failures with honesty, humility, and hope."

- "You blame less, and forebear more."

- "Your recovery time from irritability, resentment and smugness is getting shorter."

- "No matter what anyone says about you, you realize the cross is your greatest critic and cure."

- "You are quicker at seeing and grieving YOUR bad attitude, than noticing anyone else's."

- "You rush to mercy quicker than you rush to judgment."

- "When you weren't invited to an event others were, it hurts, but you don't retaliate."

- "You can tell when you're starting to manupulate people and you nip it in the bud."

- "You don't condescendingly roll your eyes as often or make as many flippant remarks."

- "You long and pray for the Holy Spirit to visit your heart & Church in transforming power."

- "Less and less seems really whine-worthy"

- "You expect to discover more of your need for Jesus today & more of th riches of Jesus."

- "The older you get the more you remember stuff your parents actually did right."

- "You want to trust again more than you want to stay stuck in your hurt."

- "Your inwards groans are getting louder and your eager waiting more intense. Romans 8:23"

- "You know the difference being obsessively busy and providentially busy."

- "The people who know you best would say you live more of a called life than a driven life."

- "You know you're not anywhere close to being as free as Jesus intends."

- "You boast IN your weaknesses but you don't boast about them. They don't define you."

- "You don't live by the frowns and judgments of professional weaker brothers."

- "You know the difference between dialouge and diatribe when discussing theological matters."

- "You're beter about responding to calls and invitations, and sending thank you notes."

- "If you don't know, you don't pretend you do."

- "You don't feel the need to pose and pretend as often or as much."

- "You spend way less time stuck in the paralysis of analysis"

- "Because of God's grace at work in your heart, it's getting harder to gossip, nag & snarl."

- "The gap between your sound doctrine and your actual discipleship is narrowing."

- "You repend freely and regularly, to your spouse and children"

- "You grieve how touchy, pouty and defensive you can be."

- "People you're talking with don't just hear your words but experience your presence."

- "You recognize quicker when you're importing last year's anger into today's disappointment."

- "You practice the anatomical ratio of ears to mouth: Listening twice as much as talking."

- "The more you understand your union with Christ the more you crave communion with him."

- "Repentance is becoming less something YOU do and more Someone you trust, namely Jesus."

- "Your cry for a changed heart is louder than your cry for relief."

- "There are fewer pages in the little book in which you keep a record of wrongs done to you."

- "You notice a person's dignity before you notice their depravity."

- "The time lapse between the Spirit's convicting and your repenting is much shorter."

- "Your use of caller ID reflects your commitment to love well, not simply avoid people"

- "What you are behind the steering wheel is a demonstration of the power of the gospel."

- "You don't violate confidences. You can be trusted with the brokenness of others."

- "You think about fixing people less and loving them more."

- "You don't trust signs, just Jesus."

- "You don't objecify your chuch for criticism. You weep with her as a member of the family"

- "You find yourself choosing to use the phrase, "you don't get me" less and less."

- "It takes minutes not weeks to recognize when you've fallen back into works righteousness."

- "Your theology always leads to doxology, not merely to you being more right than others."

- "Compliments don't intoxicate you and criticism doesn't decimate you."

- "You don't linger at religious TV programming just to fuel contempt & make snide remarks."

- "Your thoughts of heaven are more about the transforming of this world than escaping it."

- "You feel like you're just beggining to appreciate all the riches and depth of John 3:16"

- "Less cynicism about other people's sins and more tears over your own"

- "It's getting easier not to retaliate, get even, or even crave god's vengeance ."

- "You're increasingly less quarrelsome, sarcastic and easily offended."

- "You're content, even glad knowing that God sometimes answers your prayers with "no"."

- "You've got a whole lot more confidence in Jesus' prayers than yours"

- "The word "idolatry" makes you think about your heart more so than Greek temples."

- "When you think about "blessings" from God, suffering makes your list."

- "You don't debate eschatology, you live it."

- "The more you learn about Jesus and the gospel the more you realize how little YOU know."

- "The gospel still astonishes & humbles you. It's not just cliche or the name of your tribe."

- "You don't use your car horn to curse bad drivers, but appropriately caution & warn them."

- "Not texting or reading emails on your pda while driving, with or without kids."

- A commitment to pray for people you'd really rather gossip about.

- "Still being gracious to telemarketers when they call your protected phone number."

- "A commitment to give your spouse focused, unrushed attention at the END of the day."

- "You talk about your justification 10 times more than your victimization."

- "You throw less pity-parties, because you go to Jesus quicker than to self-contempt"

- "Your repentances come quicker with less pouting, excuses and vain promises."

- "You catch people "doing it right" in a 3-1 ratio to "doing it wrong".

- "You long for your heart to come more fully alive to the love of Jesus."

- "When telling your story, you end up talking about Jesus more than you."

- "You love hearing Jesus' name exalted and you're not as pained when you don't hear yours."

- "You know, that given the right circumstances, there is no sin you're beyond committing."

- "For every one look at yourself you take ten looks at Jesus- your righteousness and peace."

- "One by one, God's perfect loe for you in Jesus is exposing and driving out your fears."

- " You're thankful Jesus hasn't just forgiven all your sins, but also all your good works"

Peter's Denial

"Peter said to him, Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and death. Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow three times this day, until you deny me three times that you do not know me" (Luke 22:33-34)

Peter's response resonates with me: In the height of spiritual fervor, Peter thinks he is finally ready to give Jesus his "100%," but Jesus knew what was in the heart of man. It was why He came into the world. We have an complete inability to earn God's favor on our own. Jesus, in His omniscience, knew what Peter was going to do in all of its horrible detail. That's what omniscience means--Jesus knows all of our pasts and all of our futures in full HD.

Considering this, I got to thinking about the times I come to Jesus, promising to do all sorts of things for Him: "Oh yea! I'm gonna tackle the Word. I'm gonna do this and that, I'm ready to do anything for you Lord." Little do I know that, in under an hour, I'll end up screaming at a car that cuts me off, or fall into some other sin.

Yet, this passage is not just another reminder about the depravity of man; it reveals something extraordinary about the God we serve, His faithful love. He knows everything we are going to do, and yet does not cast us off. Though Peter denied Jesus, the Lord of all, Jesus never denied Peter. As Christians, we can be comforted by the fact that our sin does not take God by surprise. He knows what we are going to do in EXACT detail. It did not stop him from going to the cross. And because of the cross, we can have confidence that God is always pleased with us, and that He is doing something real and absolutely effective about our sin.

So, do you find yourself you discouraged by your failures or taken by surprise by your sin? Don't be, God's not. He is saying to you, "I know you failed, I knew you were going to fail the last time you came to me in prayer, and exactly when and how. But you are still my child, what you did was paid for with the blood of my son, you are justified."

This does not mean we should be slacking in personal holiness, but should enable us to pursue holiness in the freedom of knowing, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Romans 8:39).

Beautiful Timing

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

"He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

I am so impatient. I love the Jeremiah verse, but I don't know about you, but I find myself wondering most of the time, "ok, so when are these plans gonna happen?" I wanna know the when, more than I want to take God at his word. Waiting is hard, sometimes I adopt an attitude of, "you know NOW would be a good time for you to do this." The verse in Ecclesiastes has been an encouragement to me. This verse always helps me to remember, that God's timing is so much superior to my own. In my sinful arrogance, I actually believe I know when God should deliver and do things, that God should work to my time table. But I am realizing more and more that I need to trust the he is good in his dealings with his children and he is good in the timing of everything. Waiting is hard, and it stinks but that waiting should not lead me to impatience and bitterness, but should drive me to cling to Christ even more. We are called to trust that not only will he do good, but that his timing is good as well. This verse says it's BEAUTIFUL! This is a great promise that we can trust.

Don't give into impatience or cynicism, remember God does have good plans for you, and we are to take him at his word, not question the when or how or whatever, but follow and trust the one who says so. His timing will always be better than you can dream. Rest in his word, not how you feel. He is for you and wants you to trust him.

The idols of the Heart and the Jealousy of God

"For you shall worship no other God, for the Lord, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God" (Exodus 34:14)

This past Friday at Care Group, my friend Laura made a statement that really has been hounding me, and one that I had forgotten up till then. What she said was simple: "the Lord is a jealous God." It caught my attention because recently I had a plan completely crushed by the Lord, and it has left me feeling discouraged and in pain. I've been thinking a great deal about God's dealings with his people in the old testament, how they would quickly run to build idols and run to them for security, solace, deliverance, ect. Pastor Tullian Tchividjian, in his book "Surprised by Grace", has this to say about idols:

Idolatry is centering our attention and affection on something, or someone, smaller than God. In fact, most idols are good things in our lives that we turn into ultimate things, things that take God's place as we unconsciously depend on them to give our lives meaning and security.1

When my plans came crumbling down, I spent the vast majority of my time feeling completely destroyed. Looking back on the last couple of weeks, I can see that this plan had really gotten a hold of my heart. I was looking to find fullfillment and peace in this thing working out. Was God being cruel when he closed this door? Was he being a malignant bully trying to rob me of happiness? Absolutely NOT!!

When the bible speaks of God being a jealous God, it means that his love for us is so strong that he will do anything and everything to keep us from giving ourselves to things that were never meant to satisfy or fulfill us. Anything that threatens the good of his bride, will be opposed. When we run to idols, we are playing the whore, committing adultery against a powerful and merciful king, who is not reacting from fear or weakness, but from a "holy indignation at having his honor, power, and mercy scorned by a fickle spouse." (John Piper)2 I don't think I'll ever wrap my mind around the fact that the same God who DOES NOT need us (Acts 17:24-25) is the same God who is passionately jealous for us and desires that we enjoy him, "the fountain of living water". The God who recklessly pursues ungrateful fugitives deserving of wrath and condemnation.

What God's been showing me, is that my reaction indicates that I had been putting way too much hope in this thing (which was a good thing), in essence I was worshipping, and the pain of the loss was indicative that I had held on to it more than God. When God was wrecking my hands open, as painful as that was, he was actually acting in love, out of jealousy. Is there anything that you are treasuring, finding security in, hoping in, more than God? He will do anything to keep you, submit your desires and plans to him. Don't cling, give them up and trust that he is good, and that HE will be enough for you, in the here, now, and forever.

1 Tullian Tchividjian, Surprised by Grace, p. 101

2 John Piper, "The Lord Whose Name is Jealous" www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-lord-whose-name-is-jealous

When God Denies Us Things

I think it's safe to say many Christians have felt the sting of something being denied them. You have a legitmately good desire and it seems God has said no and shut the door on it. In those moments I tend to think something like, "This doesn't feel like good God. what the heck!?" You can be tempted to doubt God's goodness when things don't work out like you want. But, as I've had to remind myself recently, there is a vast chasm between what I think is good and what God says is good for me.

John Piper gave an illustration once about how his son, when he was younger, wanted a cracker from the cupboard. When Piper went to the cupboard he saw that the whole box had gotten moldy and needed to be thrown out and so instead he gave him something else to snack on. He recalled how in giving his son something different, he had a real hard time explaining to his child that the cracker was bad for him and the other treat was better. The child was unable to understand that the cracker wasn't good for him at all. Aren't we the same way? We see God denying certain things and we are so convinced that he is being cruel and sadistic. We think we know what the good is and if it's denied us, we pout. The truth of the matter is that God is protecting us from harm. He loves us too much to give us what we want--if it's no good.

In Matthew 7, Jesus pointed us to how God displays His goodness through His gifts: "[W]hich one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (9-11) Applying Jesus' teaching to our situation, we should note that it is perfectly legitimate to have desires. We should make sure that they are in keeping with the Bible's teaching, but desires are natural and can even lead us to growth in Christ. But we should never assume that what we think is "good" is what God thinks is best for us. Just like Piper's child, I don't see things as I should, I am so convinced that the fuzzed, infested cracker is good, and in frustration I ask, "If my Father was so good, wouldn't He give this to me?"

Given my fallen state, I should hold every desire with the knowledge that my perception of what is good is tainted. Desiring to have what we perceive as being good is what got Adam and Eve in trouble in the first place. To avoid their mistake--empowered by the Gospel, I need to trust that God is a good father, who really does know what's best for me; and if he denies me something in the moment he's protecting me from harm.

So maybe you are struggling with being denied something--the job you wanted, the raise, the promotion, a relationship, whatever. But in your struggles, don't ignore the central truths of what we know about God. See, when it comes down to it, the struggle has less to do with the particular issue at hand and much more to do with the crucial question: Are you going to choose to believe that God is your Father and He is perfect in wisdom and wont deny you ANY good thing?

There comes a point when we need to stop gazing after the thing denied and turn our hearts toward the Father who is the very essence of goodness Himself. Look how lavishly he displays His love in the Gospel: He gave up His only perfect Son for you. Do you really think that He would hand you a stone today?

"Give to the Winds Thy Fears"

Came across this poem by a man named Paul Gerhardt about our nights turning to day

Give to the winds thy fears,

Hope and be undismayed.

God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears,

God shall lift up thy head

Through waves and clouds and storms,

He gently clears thy way;

Wait thou His time; so shall this night

Soon end in joyous day.

Far, far above thy thought,

His counsel shall appear,

when fully He the work hath wrought,

That caused thy needless fear.

Leave to His sovereign sway

To choose and to command;

So shalt thou, wondering, own that way,

How wise, how strong this hand

"give to the Winds Thy Fears" (1656) Paul Gerhardt

Small Faith?

Do you ever feel down because of the size of your faith? I can get pretty discouraged by my lack of faith, it seems like it'll never grow it's so small. This quote from Spurgeon really helped me, it is very dangerous to live by how we feel.

"I often hear this from young beginners in the divine life, "I was so happy a month ago, but I have lost that happiness now." Perhaps tomorrow, after they have been at the house of God, they will be as cheerful as possible, but the next day their joy is gone. Beware, my dear Christian friends, of living by feeling. John Bunyan puts down Mr. Live-by-feeling as one of the worst enemies of the town of Mansoul. I think he said he was hanged. I am afraid he, somehow or other, escaped from the executioner, for I very commonly meet him; and there is no villain that hates the souls of men and causes more sorrow to the people of God than this Mr. Live-by-feeling. He that lives by feeling will be happy today, and unhappy tomorrow; and if our salvation depended upon our feelings, we should be lost one day and saved another, for they are as fickle as the weather, and go up and down like a barometer. We live by faith, and if that faith be weak, bless God that weak faith is faith, and that weak faith is true faith. If thou believest in Christ Jesus, though thy faith be as a grain of mustard seed, it will save thee, and it will, by-and-bye, grow into something stronger. A diamond is a diamond, and the smallest scrap of it is of the same nature as the Koh-i-noor, and he that hath but little faith hath faith for all that; and it is not great faith that is essential to salvation, but faith that links the soul to Christ; and that soul is, therefore, saved. Instead of mourning so much that thy faith is not strong, bless God that thou hast any faith at all, for if he sees that thou despisest the faith he has given thee, it may be long before he gives thee more. Prize that little, and when he sees that thou art so glad and thankful for that little, then will he multiply it and increase it, and thy faith shall mount even to the full assurance of faith