John 10:10

I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly...

Abundant...you know, like more than enough...full. Whenever I think of the word full I get the image of my belly swelling from too much food..... like after thanksgiving dinner when everyone has to undo the top button on their pants (you know you do). Thanksgiving dinner is always satisfying..... I would never have associated Jesus or my life as satisfying as thanksgiving dinner.

here were my thoughts as to why:

1. Is God even using me right now for anything great, anything big...anything special? Am I even worth it?

2. Why can't I show others that I interact with "Christ-in-me"...? Im always messing something up...

3. Do I even know what I believe? I'm not even sure if what I believe is true sometimes, how can I seriously share that with other people?


To live abundantly....or to live life to the fullest, is so frustrating when you don't really understand what that is suppose to look like... Those were the thoughts i wrote during the very first day of the study.... supposedly, if i really understand grace... than the abundant life Jesus mentions is not so hard to have (this is the whole theme of the study)

but this was my only concept of grace when i started:

grace covers all sins.... past, present, future and allowed my salvation.

It has been revealed to me that grace is so much more than that...

Which leads me to the one thing that stood out to me the most at the beginning. A very simple statement that didnt mean much when i first underlined it, but going over it again today.... it has blown my mind.....

The author is discussing the different ways people gain knowledge, the first being by receiving information and the other by revelation (this being a supernatural way....or from the Holy Spirit) In a nutshell:

Education informs you, the result: you know more.
Revelation transforms you, the result: you can be more....

I can actually be.... or experience gods word.... !

Thats amazing to me. I had never thought of learning in any other way besides the "school" way. I think it may be because I enjoy gaining knowledge. I like to learn (read Im a huge nerd). And I am really good at it.... not to brag or anything.

But stay with me here....

So information educates me, but God wants me to have more than an education on things like jesus, grace, etc. He wants me to have an experience, so much so that the Holy Spirit will just allow me to understand things... all things.... any things.. even the really hard and confusing things....

Grace is more than some definition that I can regurgitate about my forgiveness of sins. It doesn't just stop at the reason I am saved. Its an experience... a way to live, not just another piece of information to store in my brain.

Wow... and this was just the first day!