Yesterday I spoke at the First Baptist Church in Boerne (pronounced "Bernie") Texas to a receptive group. I will be going back there on March 7-8 to teach a Grace Walk Conference in the church, so if you are in a position where you can attend the conference, I would be happy to meet you there.
I spoke in two Sunday morning services, where the congregation seemed tuned in and receptive as I spoke. In between the services, I met with a Sunday School class who has been studying Grace Walk for about six weeks. The time with them was to answer questions that had arisen during their study. I really enjoy that type of setting, being able to hear the things that people have connected to and the things they are wrestling with as they read the book.
Embracing the grace walk usually requires a radical paradigm shift that doesn't come without a lot of yeah-but-what-about questions. It is very likely that those of us who grew up in church won't be able to assimilate the message of the grace walk into our existing view of the Christian life. It usually requires that we admit we have been wrong about some of the things we've always believed, then replace those faulty beliefs with the truths of God's Word about who we are in Christ.
When I began to understand the grace walk, I was surprised by the number of things I had to "unlearn" as I grew in grace. It isn't comfortable to have a long-held belief system be shaken, but when we come into the revelation of who we are in Christ and what it means to walk in grace, it's worth leaving our old religious baggage behind for the sheer joy of knowing Christ as our life.
The Apostle Paul recounted his past religious credentials, then said he considered it all "dung" compared to the joy he had come to know through understanding the excellency of Christ. I'll let you do the homework on that verse to discover the full brunt of it's meaning!
Anyway, meet me in Texas if you can come. The pastor and associate pastor are excited about the message and the congregation was receptive. This should be a great conference.
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My husband and I loved your book. I bought several copies to give to friends. We tell every one we know to read it. I attend a Baptist church and I have found that the people that are the hardest to reach with the grace message are the ones that grew up in church. They will not accept pure grace. It is so frustrating. Hope you come to the North Carolina area. We need you!!
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